Committee approves supplementary budget with MVR 6m to media

Budget review committee of the parliament on Thursday approved the supplementary budget submitted by the government with an amendment to allocate MVR 6.5 million for broadcasting service providers and media.

The parliament had passed a budget of MVR 42.8 billion for this year. However, the total budget is expected to be MVR 49.3 billion by the end of this year.

At the budget committee session, MDP MP Ibrahim Shareef moved to approve the finance ministry's budget proposal with an amendment to allocate MVR 6.5 million to registered broadcasting service providers and media outlets from the finance ministry's special budget.

Shareef's motion was supported by Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem. 

President-elect Dr Mohamed Muizzu pledged during his presidential campaign to fund the media from the state budget. Although the finance ministry did not include it in its budget proposal for next year, Muizzu recently asked MDP MPs, who have a clear majority in parliament, to include it at the committee stage.

Supplementary budget in brief: