The Tanzanian government has said more research is necessary before it introduces a freedom of information bill.
Amos Makalla, Deputy Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, said Feb. 1 that a bill will not be tabled in the National Assembly soon, which was “widely anticipated by stakeholders including media practitioners,” according to an article by Florian Kaijage in IPPMedia.
Makalla said the government will proceed on a Media Services Act “which will establish key organs to oversee media practice, whilst we conduct research on the Right to Information Bill.
One parliamentarian, Kangi Lugola, replied that a freedom of information bill also is very important, according to the article.
Makalla said is the government is still researching the bill, noting that the Media Council of Tanzania had sponsored a visit by parliamentarians to India last year to study the Indian system. “This is a revelation that even MCT needs more time to research on the matter,” he said.
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