State formally hands over financial assistance for private media to Media Commission

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide financial assistance to private media outlets.  

Permanent Secretary Fathimath Ahmed signed the MoU on behalf of the ministry at a ceremony held on Thursday, while MMBC Secretary General Hamdhy Ageel signed on behalf of the commission.  

According to the ministry, the MoU is designed to ensure that financial assistance to private media is carried out in an equitable and transparent manner, within the legal framework that allocates a percentage of the state budget for journalism. The agreement formally transfers responsibility for administering financial assistance from the state budget to the MMBC.  

Under the MoU, the MMBC will share details of the media outlets receiving assistance and the funds allocated with the Youth Ministry.  

The Youth Ministry had earlier compiled a list of 18 private media outlets to receive state funding, with Sanngu TV identified as the largest recipient at MVR 3.8 million, followed by Sanngu Online at MVR 1.3 million. The list was criticized for being prepared hastily and without consideration of staff numbers or output, and for allocating funds to smaller outlets.  

The ministry said the rules on financial assistance were formulated with advice from relevant institutions before the merger of the Media Council and Broadcasting Commission. It added that the new Media Commission is best placed to independently manage financial assistance to private media.  

The state budget had earmarked MVR 28 million for private media outlets on October 29, but the Youth Ministry canceled the decision the following day after complaints were raised. Since then, the Media Commission has said it is working to subsidize media before the end of the year.