Youth Ministry’s Role Limited to Transferring Media Funds, Minister Confirms

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Development Ibrahim Waheed said the ministry will now act solely as a facilitator in transferring funds to media outlets once the necessary details are received.

Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office today, the minister addressed questions following recent changes to the government’s policy on providing financial assistance to media organisations registered in the Maldives.

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Last week, the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (Media Commission)  announced that 41 media outlets will be eligible for financial assistance under the revised framework. The funds will be channelled to media outlets through the Ministry of Youth and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.

Previously, when the policy was handled by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, the list published by the ministry showed that Sangu TV, in which Minister Ibrahim holds shares, was set to receive the highest allocation. Journalists questioned the process behind the initial list and whether the decision to disburse funds at that stage was appropriate.

In response, the minister said that although the ministry initially worked on the policy, feedback from media organisations indicated that the approach was not suitable. He said he agreed with those concerns and that the work was subsequently handed over to the Media Commission to complete.

He said the ministry has since received only a list of scores for media outlets and has requested further details from the commission to proceed. The minister added that the ministry’s current role is limited to facilitating the transfer of funds once the required information is provided.

According to the Media Commission, 57 media outlets created profiles on the application portal, with 41 meeting the eligibility criteria. The scheme is open to private media outlets that were registered and licensed before 1 January 2024.

A total of MVR 27 million has been allocated for the scheme in the 2020 state budget, representing 0.1 percent of projected government revenue.