Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, Ibrahim Waheed, has stated that the government will have no involvement in the process of allocating funds to media outlets.
The Minister made this clarification during a press conference held at the President’s Office to provide updates on the ministry’s initiatives.
Speaking at the briefing, Minister Waheed noted that a list of 41 eligible media organizations has already been finalized for the distribution of funds. He emphasized that this list was compiled by the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission. The Minister further explained that while the ministry has received the list detailing the points scored by each outlet, they have requested additional information from the Commission to ensure the process is conducted effectively.
“I have requested the Commission to send a formal letter clarifying the exact amount each media outlet is entitled to, in addition to their scores. As this is a presidential pledge, I believe the full details must be provided to you with complete transparency,” the Minister said.
Minister Waheed noted that although the ministry initially spearheaded the efforts, they took into account concerns raised by media organizations regarding the appropriateness of the ministry handling the process. Consequently, the responsibility was handed over to the Media Commission. The Commission was tasked with establishing the necessary regulations, consulting with media outlets, gathering data, and completing all procedural requirements.
The Minister clarified that the ministry’s current role is merely that of a facilitator. He stated that once the final details are received, the ministry’s only task is to forward the information to the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the payments.
“We forward the information exactly as we receive it, without any alterations. Neither the ministry nor the government will have any influence over this. We are simply requesting the Ministry of Finance to implement the decision made by the Media Commission. If they send the details today, I will forward them to Finance today,” Minister Ibrahim Waheed added.
Providing financial assistance to private media outlets and supporting their development is a key pledge of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. For the current year, it has been decided to allocate 0.1 percent of the state budget, amounting to MVR 27.9 million, for media organizations.
