The Rs. 104.6 million allocated to MTV Channel (Private) Limited to host the 63rd General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and associated events did not come from the Treasury or taxpayers’ money, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said.
Speaking at the Cabinet decisions media briefing on Tuesday (3), he said the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau had provided the Rs. 104,603,876 for the assembly, related meetings, music festival and excursion programme.
According to the Minister, the bureau receives funding through a $5 charge collected from tourists arriving in Sri Lanka and a 1% levy on hotel sector revenue.
He said the bureau had previously supported sporting events and tourism promotion programmes, including the Colombo Marathon, the Air Force cycling race and the kite festivals organised by Derana in 2025 and 2026.
Jayatissa added that promotional activities were also underway to attract visitors from several countries.
He said the ABU, established in 1964, had approximately 225 public and private broadcasting organisations across 66 countries among its members. Around 350 people had attended this year’s assembly in Sri Lanka.
The Minister also clarified that the host broadcaster was selected by the ABU’s Executive Board, rather than the Sri Lankan Government.
He said the private media institution had secured hosting rights through the board’s recommendation and selection process.
