Africa-Press – Angola. Angola climbed four places in the ranking of press freedom, from 103rd to 99th, announced Wednesday (4th) in Luanda, the minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, Manuel Homem.
The official participated on Wednesday (04), by videoconference, in a webinar promoted by UNESCO’s Yaoundé Regional Office for Central Africa, as part of the celebrations of the World Press Freedom Day marked on 3 May.
He stated that the increase in the last four years is significant, going from 125 in 2017 among the places considered red (difficult situation), to the current position of 99, the result of which was released by Reporters Without Borders as part of the celebration of World Freedom Day. of Press for this year.
Manuel Homem also stressed that Angola, despite various adversities, resulted from the economic recession that shook the country in recent years, with the Government having created conditions to guarantee more Radio and Television signals to the overwhelming majority of citizens in the national territory.
According to the minister, this year, the occupational qualifier for public media companies was approved and implemented and the Social Security Fund was created for workers in the sector. The latter, he added, will, in the short term, improve the social conditions of professionals in the sector.
He also highlighted the launch of new titles that had been out of circulation for a few years, in addition to the extension of the Emissora Católica de Angola signal throughout the country, as well as the Government’s efforts to ensure the legal and regular conformation of private media bodies. and it also reinforced the skills and abilities of professionals in the sector through the permanent realization of different training actions.
According to the minister, the Angolan Executive believes that the focus on training should be a way forward to improve the quality of journalism in the country, a prerequisite for a better exercise of Freedom of the Press.
Manuel Homem informed that actions are underway to improve, consolidate and affirm journalistic practice as a way of guaranteeing the right to inform and to be informed in a free and generalized way, with emphasis on the reform of the press laws and the exercise of the activity of Broadcasting, construction, rehabilitation and equipping with technological means of the media, the consolidation of the management processes of public bodies in the sector and advocacy for the reinforcement and expansion of legal affirmation among the various operators.
During the intervention, the official did not let the holding of the next general elections, scheduled for August, go unnoticed. ”Our country is holding the 5th Elections in history this year. The role of the press in this electoral year becomes even more relevant to guarantee access to the information necessary for citizen participation in the public debate and in the electoral process in a consistent and critical way”, he added, emphasizing that the recognition of the improvements in Angola in the Freedom of the Press takes place in an election year, which is healthy.
The directors of the Exchange Office, Gisela Silva, National Publicity National, José Matuta Cuato, took part in the meeting in Angola, representing the National Director of Information and Institutional Communication, João de Brito Fernando Demba.
Representatives of the media ministries of each country in the region, media regulators, national and regional organizations and associations, as well as civil society organizations were also present.
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