Government: No plans yet to allocate a budget for media

The government, on Sunday, has stated that there are no plans yet to allocate funds for media outlets from the state budget for them to operate independently.

Maldives Editors Guild (MEG), in a statement on December 7, expressed that they believed in the importance of allocating funds for local media outlets from the state budget to ensure their independent operations and freedom from financial influence.

On this note, they urged the government to lay down a policy on allocating funds for media outlets from the state budget in the same manner as political parties.

Commenting on MEG’s statement, the President’s Office’s Spokesperson Miuvaan Mohamed told Sun that the government always listens to pleas from journalists, and will prioritize them.

“However, there are no such plans. The government, nevertheless, will always consider the recommendations by journalists,” he had said.

Miuvaan has previously remarked that the current administration will undertake all possible efforts to ensure freedom of the press. He also noted that efforts were underway to ensure the protection granted by laws and regulations to journalists and to facilitate training opportunities for them.