CoRI calls for implementation on review of Information and Broadcasting Policy 2003
Members of the Coalition on Right to Information (CoRI) representing their institutions pictured during their 2nd meeting for this year, held on May 21, 2024 in Dar es Salaam
By Tumbi Kiganja,
Dar es Dar es Salaam. Members of Coalition on the Right to Information (CoRI) have called for implementation of commitment to finalise review of Information and Broadcasting Policy 2003 made on several occasions by the Minister of Information, Communication and Information Technologies Nape Nnauye.
The CoRI members made the call during the meeting held on May 21, 2024 that discussed among other things the review of the policy which was initiated in October 2023.
Members of CoRI are Twaweza, Sikika, Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF), Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-TAN), Tanzania Development Information Organization (TADIO), Policy Forum, Jamii Forums, Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC), Organization of Journalists Against Drugs and Crimes in Tanzania (OJADACT), Tanzania Citizens’ Information Bureau(TCIB), chaired by Media Council of Tanzania (MCT).
The members urged that Minister Nape has been consistently saying that some sections of Media Services Act, 2016 were not amended in 2023 because of policy issues, and pledged including when he was tabling his Ministerial Budget on May 18, 2024 in the Parliament.
“We hope that the Minister will stick to his words and finalise the review as soon as possible because the policy itself is outdated and he has been saying it is also a reason why some sections of MSA were not reviewed,” said Adv. James Marenga, a CoRI representative from Misa-Tan.
CoRI were in their second scheduled 2024 meeting organised to discussed on CoRI Strategy Development Framework that the members have agreed on to develop the CoRI strategy.
The meeting also had a thorough discussion on the Information and Broadcasting Policy 2003 that ended by forming a three members group of CoRI experts who will spend two days producing a comprehensive CoRI’s schedule of amendment advocating for review of the same.