The government has approved Rs. 104.6 million in sponsorship funding for MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd in connection with hosting the 63rd General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) in Sri Lanka, according to a Ministry of Finance document.

The exact approved amount is Rs. 104,603,876. The funding also covers programmes associated with the assembly, the document says.

The Ministry of Finance document is dated 28 September 2026 and carries the reference MF/PE/CM/2026/232. It relates to Cabinet memorandum CP 26/1947/807/035, which was submitted by Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath.

The document also refers to observations made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

The ABU General Assembly and its associated meetings are being hosted by MTV Sri Lanka in Colombo from 30 October to 3 November 2026. They bring together broadcasting organisations and media professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region.

Background

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union is an association of broadcasting organisations in the Asia-Pacific region. Its General Assembly brings member organisations together, and the host for each year’s meeting is chosen from among its members.

Sponsorship of this kind is public money, and the Ministry of Finance document is the record on which the approval rests. The document that was reviewed does not contain a detailed breakdown of how the Rs. 104.6 million will be spent.

It also does not confirm whether the approved amount has already been paid out to the company.

What it means

The document names MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd as the recipient of the sponsorship.

The approval means public funds have been committed to a privately run broadcaster for an international media event held in Colombo. For taxpayers, the practical questions are what the money was spent on and whether an itemised account will be made available.

Neither the document nor the Cabinet memorandum reference sets out how expenditure will be reported. Until a breakdown is published, the public record shows the total and the reference numbers only.

The assembly is due to end on 3 November, after which spending on the event could be reported by the organisers or the ministries involved.