The Speaker, Anita Among, has assigned the Committee on ICT and National Guidance the responsibility of reviewing a petition submitted by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) concerning the directive from President Yoweri Museveni.
The directive mandates that all government advertisements should be exclusively channeled through state-owned media platforms, specifically Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and Vision Group, beginning in the current financial year.
The petition raises concerns about the government’s policy of granting advertising opportunities solely to one media house, which has led private broadcasters to claim that they are being deprived of government advertising benefits. They state that the directive’s implementation contradicts principles of equality and fair access, as stated in paragraph 10 of the circular.
In response to this directive, private broadcasters have suspended coverage of government activities until the order is reversed.
In an effort to address the issue, President Museveni has agreed to meet with NAB’s leadership on August 10, 2023, to explore ways to distribute advertising funds more equitably between private and state-owned media.
The Committee on ICT and National Guidance will carefully scrutinize the petition and assess the implications of the exclusive government advertising directive as per the task assigned by Speaker Anita Among.
Meanwhile, the Speaker has also directed the Committee on Trade to review a petition from the Uganda Manufacturing Association (UMA) concerning challenges affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of the sugar sector. The petition focuses on regulatory weaknesses within the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives.
The tasks assigned to the committees align with the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, specifically Rules 30 (5) and (10). The committees will scrutinize the petitions and address the concerns raised by NAB and UMA, respectively.