The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, has said in parliament that the new Independent Media Commission Bill (IMC Bill) that was deliberated upon at the pre-legislative stage in Committee Room Number One on Monday 14th July 2020, has a human face and the ability to transform the media landscape of the country.
He maintained that the IMC Bill is not a precondition for the repeal process, but he is of the conviction that it has to be strengthened so that it can support independent professional journalists.
He furthered that in the IMC Act, no attention had been paid to the Reporters themselves, but the proposed IMC Bill makes provision for payment of salaries to media practitioners.
The Information Minister noted that journalists have not been paid proper salaries as 90% of them have been using their ID cards to fend for themselves, which is not in the best interest of the profession.
Employers are supposed to pay their employees’ NASSIT contributions, to the tune of at least 10% of their gross earning while at the same time 5% should be deducted from their salary to save for the rainy day.
He disclosed that media practitioners have been in the profession for over 30-40 years but they still “COAST” (begging or extorting money from the public). “They don’t do it because they want to do it as a way of life, but simply because provision was never made for them when they retired.”
Minister Swaray underlined that it is for reasons like this that they are insisting that salaries and other emoluments should be paid to journalists.
He added the Government of Sierra Leone believes that journalists play a key and critical role in holding the high and mighty to account, media leadership positions like Station Managers and Editors are too serious to be occupied by people who have not invested in professional development by way of acquiring university degrees, diplomas or certificates.
“We have agreed that it can be in any discipline, but the holder of such positions must have a university degree; we encourage SLAJ to encourage their members to aspire to professional enhancement so that we can have upward career development,” he said.
Minister Swaray posited that by continuing to maintain the Criminal Libel Laws in the country’s law books government is violating twelve international conventions which according to him dents the country’s democratic credentials, and insisted that for that reason and many others, the Government of Sierra Leone is poised to expunge it from the law books of the country.
He asserted thus : “Already His Excellency the President Dr Julius Maada Bio has taken bold steps in rebranding the country and repositioning it so that it could attract a fair share of foreign direct investment, therefore this will be an add-up if this process happens as the government will be able to attract more investment in the country.”
He noted that the continued existence of the Criminal Libel Laws has warded off many potential investors who face business uncertainty, and also the risk of incarceration for media staff along the rest of the production line, from the editors, the vendors and printers to anyone else whether they would be brought in for criminal libel.
“For that reason,” he said, “we believe the media should be unshackled so that journalists are able to practice their trade unhindered.”
By Bampia James Bundu: Strategic Communications Unit, Ministry of Information and Communications.
16/07/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7867