President’s Office Funds Media To Promote Presidential Trip To COP26

The President’s Office has attempted to promote President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s current visit to the COP26 summit in Scotland by offering to fund privately-owned media outlets.

The President’s Office had reached out to several media outlets and requested quotations for their coverage and promotion of President Solih’s trip. Reliable sources told TMJ that most outlets quoted an amount higher than MVR 50,000.

The President’s Office had spent money on private media outlets to promote coverage of the President’s trip to the UN General Assembly held in New York. The President’s Spokesperson, Mabrouq Aziz, claimed that the funds had been spent within the rules.

While the State is willing to spend large sums of money on public relations and the media, essential services are going underfunded.

Many officials of different government departments are part of President Solih’s entourage. Majlis Speaker, Mohamed Nasheed, is also travelling with the President.