Government to fully compensate through transparent mechanism adjustment of newspaper distribution tariff for 2024

Chisinau, 8 May /MOLDPRES/ - Moldovan periodicals, eligible for state support based on ethics and deontology criteria will be subsidised from public funds. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the Mechanism for financing the distribution of periodicals in our country for 2024, the government's communication department has reported.

The mechanism sets out a transparent regulatory framework that ensures the allocation of funds to fully compensate the distribution tariff of national and regional newspapers, within the financial means provided in the state budget for 2024.

The decision was adopted following requests from several editors-in-chief, after the adjustment at the end of last year to market rates for the distribution of periodicals and after taking into account three vulnerabilities, including the impact on readers and editors, who are already experiencing operational and logistical constraints due to high costs for paper, printing services and human resources.

Subsidies will be provided from the state budget and can be applied for by national, regional or local publications that meet a number of conditions, including: producing at least 75% of local content of public interest, ensuring transparency of ownership, editorial staff and circulation by indicating the owner/publisher, the name of the editor-in-chief and the name of the reporters, signing and respecting the Code of Ethics of Journalists in the Republic of Moldova, promoting democracy, human rights, the fight against corruption and disinformation. Compliance with these criteria will be regularly monitored by media experts.

The costs related to the implementation of the project involve expenses related to the distribution of periodicals editions through postal subscriptions and are estimated at about 11 million lei from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.