Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj has accused the government of using public service broadcasting (PSB) grants as a political tool, saying the current administration has failed to uphold its promises of transparency in how media funding is managed.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Maharaj said the government and the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) management it appointed had not been consistent in their approach to PSB funding.
“Honourable Speaker, the grant issue was used as a campaign tool by this government,” Mr Maharaj said.
“When in opposition, many of them argued that PSB funding should be treated as a non-revenue grant — not a commercial fee — to truly reflect the company’s financial state. They promised a return to fiscal transparency.”
He claimed, however, that the latest financial report of Fiji Broadcasting Corporation under the new administration shows otherwise.
“They continue to treat the funding as income,” he said.
“Despite reducing the PSB funding as part of the new policy direction, the remaining allocation is still classified and recorded as revenue in the statement of profit and loss.”
Mr Maharaj said the government was using the accounting classification to gain political mileage.
“The new management proudly trumpet that even with a significant 40 percent reduction in PSB fees, they still reported a profit of $555,000 for 2024 — calling it a milestone achievement. But they’re using the same system they once opposed,” he said.
He also questioned why large, well-established media organizations continue to receive government funding while smaller, independent platforms such as Duavata News, RonCast, and North FM struggle to stay afloat.
“We hope the new Minister for Finance will closely scrutinize how taxpayers’ money is distributed,” Mr Maharaj said.
“Why are multi-million-dollar companies being funded in millions to run government propaganda while new entrepreneurs are left behind?”
