Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, Manuel Homem, announced, Thursday(21), that the Proposed Amendment to the Press Law provides for the expansion of the legal framework for direct or indirect social participation of foreign capital in Social Communication companies from 30 to 49 percent.
Manuel Homem, who presented the advantages of the Draft Law to the deputies, during the approval, in general, clarified that the document is likely to guarantee and promote the increase of private investment in Media companies, but, however, this foreign capital can never be majority.
The Bill, a legislative initiative of the Executive, was approved by the deputies with 115 votes in favour, none against and 45 abstentions, during the 4th Ordinary Plenary Meeting of the National Assembly, according to Angop.
Agency Constitution
The amendment to the Press Law also includes the suppression of the obligation to pay up a minimum share capital of 35 million kwanzas for the creation of a news agency.
He added that the minimum share capital for setting up a news agency will henceforth be subject to the assumptions defined by the law on commercial companies. The Draft Law also provides for a ban on the exercise and financing of the activity of agencies by political parties or associations, unions, employers, professionals and local authorities, by themselves or through an entity in which capital is held.
Change And Modernization
The proposed amendment to the aforementioned Law provides for the addition of three new articles aimed at developing matters on the scope of application of the Freedom of the Press Law, general principles and prohibition of restrictive competition practices.
The document provides for the amendment of articles two, three, ten, 14, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 27, 28, 45, 46, 65, 69 and 80 of Law 01/17, the Press Law in force. In view of the number of articles to be amended, and in order to facilitate consultation, the Ministry of tutelage proposes to republish the entire legislative package for the Media, after its approval.
The Draft Law also provides for the modernization of companies or media bodies, such as: press, news agencies, radio broadcasting stations or broadcasters, television broadcasting, service or content providers, polling and opinion polling agencies, as well as photojournalism agencies and services.
Freedom Of The Press
The minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, Manuel Homem, reiterated that, from 2017 to 2021, Angola rose 22 places in the ranking of the organization Reporters Without Borders.
“From 2021, so far, we have climbed up again by three places, which demonstrates that, in fact, there is work to improve the Social Communication sector in the country”, he explained.
The official said he was aware that freedom of expression is an extension of freedom of the press and that, for this reason, “it sends us the responsibility of continuing to work towards improving the practical exercise of freedom of the press”.
The plenary session of the National Assembly continues today, with the discussion and voting, in general, of the Proposed Laws on the Exercise of the Activity of Broadcasting and Polling and Opinion Surveys.
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