Media funding cancelled amid conflict of interest concerns, handed over to Media Commission

Youth Ministry has cancelled its decision to allocate MVR 27.9 million in state funding to 18 private media outlets, following public criticism and allegations of conflict of interest. The responsibility for administering the scheme has now been handed over to the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC).

The ministry had announced the list of eligible outlets and their allocations on Wednesday. Among them, Sangu TV, in which Youth Minister Ibrahim Waheed (Asward) holds a stake, was set to receive MVR 3.8 million, while Sangu Online was to receive MVR 1.3 million, totalling MVR 5.1 million. Meanwhile, The Press, owned by the ministry’s state minister Ali Shamaan, was allocated MVR 1.3 million.

The decision sparked criticism from other media organizations and members of the public, who questioned the fairness and transparency of the process, given the apparent conflicts of interest.

In a new statement, the Youth Ministry said it believes the Media and Broadcasting Commission will be able to manage the financial assistance programme independently. As a result, the ministry has cancelled its previous announcements and transferred all related responsibilities to the commission.

The media funding scheme was a presidential pledge by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, with this year’s state budget allocating 0.1 percent of estimated revenue for financial support to qualifying private media. It marks the first time the government has established a formal mechanism to provide direct state assistance to registered media outlets.