The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said government is engaging with relevant stakeholders to pass the broadcasting bill.
According to him, government is taking inputs from technocrats and industry experts and at the same time being tactful in the passage of the bill.
so as to not create a situation where it becomes a tool for the successive government to use in stifling media freedom and freedom of speech.
Speaking on Accra-based TV3's the Minister said government is treading cautiously in the passage of the bill because one of the key tenants of democracy is media freedom.
According to him, it will rather be out of place to pass a bill that curtails the freedom of the media - one of the key players in every democratic dispensation.
“We in government or the Ministry of Information responsible for information sector policy formulation agree that there is the need to pass the broadcasting law.
"I and my directors and technocrats have spent about a year working on it and engaging with stakeholders including the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), etc but doing it tactfully.
“We are being tactful because media freedoms and freedoms of expression are rights that are given to us by the constitution and which right even though can be effected by law must be done carefully in a manner that we don’t create a ruse for government to use it as an opportunity to stifle those freedoms,” he added.
His comments comes at the back of public outcry calling for the expeditious passage of the broadcasting bill to regulate the media ecosystem following the recent murder of an 11-year-old boy allegedly by two teenagers in Kasoa for money rituals.
This the Minister said that the passage of the broadcasting bill is imminent to control media excesses in the country giving the assurance that when Parliament resumes in May this year, the bill will be laid before the house for deliberations.
He said the bill when passed into law will help among other things arrest the falling standards in Ghana’s electronic media space and ensure it embraces modern best practices.
Latest Stories
-
Ghana’s Press Freedom Index: Are we improving?
12 mins -
Reflections: 50 Lessons at 50
39 mins -
NCCE briefs Council of State on civic plans for 2024
44 mins -
Ecobank Group reports Profit Before Tax of $581m, on net revenue of $2.1bn for 2023
51 mins -
More businesses are working to move out of Ghana – Food and Beverages Association
52 mins -
Empowering Ghana’s Environmental Narrative: Celebrating World Press Freedom Day 2024
1 hour -
AG hasn’t closed investigations into Cecilia Dapaah’s case – Spokesman
1 hour -
Ghana Tourism Authority celebrates ‘Feast Ghana’ on May Day with a Taste of Culture
1 hour -
Fella Makafui gets emotional and teary-eyed reacting to old video with Medikal
1 hour -
FBNBank Ghana changes to FirstBank Ghana to align with Group identity
2 hours -
Agogo Presby Hospital celebrates staff over zero maternal death record
2 hours -
Ghana isn’t broke to procure high and low-voltage poles – Energy Minister
2 hours -
Appiatse residents handed keys to newly constructed homes
2 hours -
Dumsor: Mahama the only President to superintend ‘dum dum’ for 4 years – Opoku Prempeh
3 hours -
Burnley sign partnership deal with fan-backed scouting platform Nordensa
3 hours