A bill to create the Maldives Media Commission has been set on Monday’s agenda of Parliament.

The bill was submitted on behalf of the Government by Ungoofaaru constituency MP Jaufar Dawood.

The first reading of the bill is slated for Monday.

RaajjeMV understands that the Maldives Media Commission will be formed after dissolving Maldives Media Council (MMC) and Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC).

Some MPs have claimed that even though the Council and Commission regulates and monitors media, there were many conflicting elements in the mandate of the two bodies. Therefore, some MPs had proposed to merge the two bodies into one.

Some of the Government aligned MPs had previously indicated that a Commission will replace MMC and MBC. Some MPs had also noted there was no point in keeping two bodies for media, even from a financial perspective.

MMC had previously said they were unable to fulfill their mandate as they did not have a budget.

MBC is under fire, with citizens questioning Commission’s independence and integrity.

MBC had fined RaajjeTV by MVR 1.7 on three occasions this year so far.