The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has called on the government to immediately halt the disbursement of financial grants to private media outlets, alleging that the process lacks transparency and fairness.
In a strongly worded press statement issued today, the association raised serious concerns over the criteria used to allocate MVR 28 million in taxpayer money to 39 selected media organisations.
The MJA accused the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (Control Commission) of rushing the process without adequate consultation.
According to the association, only one meeting was held with media stakeholders since the commission took over the grant process, and no effort was made to seek public feedback on the allocation rules.
A primary concern highlighted by the MJA is the inclusion of "inactive" or "unknown" outlets in the list of beneficiaries. The association noted that several media organisations set to receive funds do not produce regular content and are virtually unknown to the public.
Furthermore, the MJA flagged instances where two separate media outlets under the same ownership were both approved for grants, describing the move as "unjust and illogical."
"The commission has failed to sufficiently verify whether these are actively functioning newspapers or magazines," the statement read.
The MJA also expressed disappointment that the grant criteria ignored fundamental labour rights, failing to prioritise media houses that respect journalists' rights to regular salaries and pension contributions.
