East Africa: Media Representatives Call for Abolition of Work Permit Fees for Journalists

Kigali — MEMBERS of the Media fraternity from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have called for abolition of work permit fees for journalists travelling within the five East African Community (EAC) member states.

That was among the various resolutions reached after the Kigali-held, 5th EAC's Media Summit which took place in Rwanda, involving heads of media houses and journalists from around the region.

The EA media representatives in their joint resolutions, pointed out that charging local journalists the fees of up to US $200 (around 300,000/-) when working within the five member states stifled the advancement of news dissemination in the region.

They said that dissemination of news and information was more of service provision than business undertaking. Earlier on, Mr Mkumbwa Ally, the Acting Managing Editor of Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Limited advised that it was time for the media houses to change from business entities and assume the role of total public service providers.

He floated the idea to the Rwandan President Mr Paul Kagame during an open discussion session with the Rwandan Head of State, asking the governments in member states to see the possibility of assisting media houses to fulfill the role of informing and educating the public without having to worry about making profits or paying taxes.

"Leaving the job of informing the public into the hands of investors of business people is a disservice to the public because the entrepreneurs starting media outlets are more concerned with making profits other than providing information and providing news," said Mr Mkumbwa who reinstated his last year's stance of calling for removal of taxation on media houses and outlets.

Responding, President Kagame admitted that it was time the governments in the five EAC member states joined hands with their respective media houses in ensuring that information is readily available to their citizens.

"Still the media need to maintain their own buffer zone so that the people in power do not swallow them wholly under the pretext of trying to assist them," said the Rwandan President who a day before had caused uproar when he accused the local media of being puppets of their foreign counterparts.

Members of the Fourth Estate chose President Kagame to be their ambassador to the East African Heads of State Summit, to represent their views and suggestions in efforts to improve coverage within the region.

"I accept the honour but on condition that it won't be a paid job," said Mr Kagame. The Media Summit, the 5th in the annual series was organized by the Arusha-based, EAC Secretariat in conjunction with the East African Business Council, Trademark East Africa and Eco-Bank.