VP pledges media funding with new parliament
With the implementation of the measure, he believes the media will be able to “stand on their own feet” and work independently.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Vice President Hussain Mohammed Latheef has said that the policies to fund the media from the state budget is set and a plot of land has been earmarked for the media village and that it will all be implemented once the new parliament, where the government has a majority, begins its work.
Vice President Hussain said this in an exclusive interview with PSM News on the occasion of Press Freedom Day and PSM’s seventh anniversary.
President Mohammed Muizzu had promised to establish a media village, and to fund the media from the state budget. The Vice President said the government is working to fulfil both pledges.
“The President felt that the state should work to promote the media and journalists and so made that promise,” Hussain said.
According to Hussain:
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When this government took over, it was delayed in fulfilling that promise as it did not have a majority in the now expiring 19th parliament
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However, with the government's super majority in the 20th parliament, that promise will be fulfilled
"The president wanted to provide something from the [state] budget for every media outlet for the first time, through a policy. Hopefully, that policy has been determined," he said, without going into details.
"The President, with the supermajority the people have given him, will be able to provide the media with something for the first time in the future”.
With the implementation of the measure, he believes the media will be able to “stand on their own feet” and work independently.
"And media outlets are being run with a lot of difficulty. The President also promised this [to establish a media village]. To fulfil that promise, he has now allocated land in Hulhumale," Hussain said.
"The foundation has been laid for a place where the media can work in a way that best suits them”.
The work is expected to be completed within this year, he said.
The supplementary budget passed by the parliament last year allocated MVR 6.5 million for the media. The cabinet also took decisions to build the media village, last December. However, it was not implemented during the year.
