By Oweyegha-Afunaduula
If we liberalized the media what sense is in the President’s order that government adverts, etc are only handled by government media? Why not allow all media to compete in a so-called liberal economy? Why discriminate in the media and everywhere? Why sow seeds of discord?
I hope the President will reconsider his Order, including its constitutionality, in order to “put sense where there is nonsense” in the Order. It is possible. Government may even open up to the idea of doing its media what it did to Uganda Commercial Bank and numerous public firms.
If the aim of banning private media from realizing revenue from adverts is to make government media more viable financially, let other ways be explored instead of harming the role of the private media in the economy, such as their huge contribution to revenue in form of taxes.Adverts are major source of revenue for the tax- paying private media.
Besides, what has happened to the usual boast by the NRM regime that its “good governance” is the reason why there are so many tv stations, radio stations and even mobile phones? What has gone so wrong that government does not regard the private media’s contribution to development, transformation and progress of the country critical anymore?
No. Let the President reconsider his Order against Private Media’s access to government adverts.
For God and My Country
