Media Subsidy Fund to be set up in Moldova

Chisinau, May 2 /MOLDPRES/- Media Subsidy Fund will be created in Moldova. The law providing for this was published in the Official Journal today. The document will enter into force after three months from the date of publication.

According to the document, the volume of financial means of the Media Subsidy Fund is approved by the annual state budget law, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on public finance and budgetary-fiscal responsibility. At the same time, it may be supplemented by annual allocations from the state budget for media subsidies, donations, sponsorships and grants offered by individuals and/or legal entities from the Republic of Moldova and abroad, other financial sources not prohibited by law.

Media institutions that will receive state subsidies will be selected through a competition by a council of experts composed of representatives appointed by the Press Council or civil society organisations representative of the media, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Finance.

The media institutions that will be eligible for grants will have to meet a number of conditions - registration in the State Register of legal entities, maintained by the Public Services Agency, compliance with the Code of Ethics, at least one year's experience of activity, no arrears to the national public budget, no sanctions for violation of important articles of the Code of Audiovisual Media Services and the Code of Ethics for Journalists.