The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC) has gazetted new regulations today for distributing 27.9 million rufiyaa in financial assistance to private media from the state budget. Under these regulations, the funds allocated for 2025 will be disbursed as a single payment.

According to a statement issued by MMBC, broadcast media that were registered before January 1, 2024, and are operating with valid licenses are eligible to apply for this financial assistance. The funds will be distributed to media outlets based on a points system, with a minimum requirement of 60 points.

The points system will evaluate several factors including the number of employees and their educational qualifications, the submitted business plan, content variety, and administrative arrangements. Organizations operating multiple media outlets can submit proposals that include their additional media platforms.

MMBC states that temporary scores will be visible when applications are submitted through their established online portal, and there will be an opportunity to file complaints after the evaluation is completed. The regulations specify that within one day of completing the proposal evaluation, the funds will be forwarded to the Youth Ministry for disbursement.

MMBC has announced that the application window for media outlets will open very soon.