Dodoma: Information Bill soon for Parliament discussion

By Florence Mugarula, The Citizen Reporter.

The government will soon table the information bill in Parliament which will enable MPs to discuss and come up with a new law on the media industry in the country.

The deputy minister for Information, Youths, Culture and Sports, Mr Amos Makala, told the Parliament yesterday that the draft had  already landed at the ministry and would be sent to the cabinet for discussion.

 He said the bill was getting final touches and would be tabled anytime from now.

Said Mr Makala: “We have taken the matter to the cabinet for discussion and we will table it in the House anytime from now.”

The deputy minister was responding to an MP’s question on media operations in the country and factors that guide the government to ban newspapers.

The Konde MP, Mr Khatib Haji (CUF) wanted the government to explain the laws that govern newspapers in the country.

He also wanted to understand why some newspapers that publish ‘dirty pictures’ showing naked women were not banned.

He said the government must explain why it bans newspapers that seem to question and challenge its performance and reveal scandals of its officials.

“I want the government to explain why it bans some newspapers. We understand that one character of a dictatorial government is to harass and suppress the media,” said the MP.

Mr Makala said newspapers were operating under the Newspaper Act of 1976 and its regulations of 1977. They were banned from operations or punished under the same law and the national security Act of 1970, he said.

The deputy minister said Tanzania was among countries that cherish and respect freedom of the press and has a total of 781 newspapers. He added that 13 were daily and 52 weekly newspapers.

Source: http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Information-Bill-soon-for--Parliament-discussion/-/1840392/1853224/-/11d4cv8z/-/index.html