The North-Galolhu constituency lawmaker Eva Abdulla expressed concern for 'corporate-tied' local media outlets.
According to the parliamentarian, media outlets have been oppressively controlled by a few major corporations resulting in such outlets unable to report on such corporations.
The lawmaker shared her opinion while deliberating on the bill on creating a competitive corporate culture, presented by Makunudhoo MP Mohamed Raai.
In her statement, MP Eva Abdulla claimed corporate monopolies have seized control of local media, commandeering the content that gets written while avoiding any level of scrutiny themselves.
She further claimed the media has been taunted into submission by such corporations, as the local media outlets are oppressed from writing against their business conduct.
The lawmaker further stressed on the importance of regulating monopolizing businesses, adding the state intervention against such corporations are necessary in combatting against any level of misconduct.
Creating a healthy yet competitive market will push for cutting excessive price tags on products sold by similar businesses and will benefit the consumers, according to the lawmaker.
Furthermore, she argued for the existence of a third telecommunication provider apart from the two in existence; Dhiraagu and Ooredoo Maldives.
The two telecom giants have been accused of practicing corporate oligopoly, with alleged mutual arrangements between the two in controlling service rates for monetary gain.
The bill as well as the dicussion has come at a time when the Maldives public have been actively voicing concerns over the unreasonably high prices charged for internet services as well as call rates.
Earlier, the Minister of of Communication, Science and Technology Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal pledged to the public on cutting the service charges of local internet providers.
Recent reports, especially shared on social media claim Maldives is the most expensive in the South Asia region with regards to internet service rates.
