The Public Service Media's (PSM) Managing Director Ahmed Shakeeb's total pay was raised to MVR 70,000 with a special allowance from the President's Office, Adhadhu has learnt.

According to the PSM Act, the state broadcaster must be impartial and have editorial independence. Allocating a portion of the pay as "special allowance" through the President's Office goes against the spirit of the law.

Shakeeb, who hosted the Rayyithunnaa Eku (With the People) podcast along with President Mohamed Muizzu, had his salary increased through the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) before taking over PSM, reliable sources said.

The President's Office included a special allowance of MVR 31,000 to increase the salary of the MD of the loss-making PSM, Adhadhu understands.

This is the first time in the country's history that the President has added a special allowance to the salary of an MD of a government company. However, neither the government, nor PSM, nor the PCB has disclosed this.

Before Shakeeb joined PSM in December, the company's MD's salary was MVR 40,000.

Influencing PSM by violating the law?

There is room to consider that the salary of the PSM MD is directly based on a decision of the President's Office violates the PSM law. Article 6 of the PSM Act states that all parties shall strive to keep PSM as an institution free from influence and with full editorial independence. No person having political, financial, administrative or other power or status shall attempt to influence the public service media, either directly or indirectly.

In addition, the law requires that no act deviating from equality be committed to protect the political or personal interests of a particular person. However, the fact that nearly half of the MD's salary is the president's “donation” has a direct influence on the institution's editorial independence.

Shakeeb is the fourth MD appointed to PSM during Muizzu's administration. The first appointment was Zeena Zahir, followed by Mohamed Saeed and Ibrahim Nasreen.