Deputy Minister for Information, Culture and Sports Joel Bendera said the draft bill was currently at cabinet level.Mr Bendera, who was answering a supplementary question by Karatu legislator Dr Wilbrod Slaa (Chadema), said once the bill was ready it would be moved in the House for MPs’ input and approval.
Dr Slaa wanted to know if the new legislation provided for scheme of service to pin down particularly the private media in paying their journalists, especially the correspondents.
Answering the basic question by Kyela legislator, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, Mr Bendera said a special journalists training programme promised by the government in 2006 could not take off because it is awaiting enactment of the new media legislation.
He said the new legislation provided for establishment of a special board to govern journalism profession, education qualification for the practitioners and general professional ethics.
It also provides for establishment of training fund for scribes to enable them acquire skills to effectively discharge their duties which he said were crucial for the development of the nation.
He, however, said despite delay in establishment of the fund, some media houses took initiative to train their journalists at certificate, diploma and degree levels. The legislator had sought to know implementation of 2006 government promise to establish a training fund for journalists. He also wanted to know the number of journalists trained locally and abroad under the arrangement.
Daily News
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