Zambia’s digital migration tender to be re-advertised

INFORMATION and broadcasting Minister Mwansa Kapeya has announced that Government has given his ministry a go ahead to re-advertise the tender for the Zambia’s digital migration process.

Mr Kapeya said the National taskforce on digital migration were currently working on the technical aspects of the tender which would be advertised in the media soon.

“Government pledges its commitment to mobilise resources for Zambia’s successful digital migration in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) deadline of June 2015,”Mr kapeya said.

He said this yesterday during a media press briefing to update the media and the nation on the various measures and activities Government was undertaking to enhance flow to public media.

Government in September cancelled the tender for the digital terrestrial migration citing irregularities in the process and in line with the advice from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) after it reviewed the procurement process for the tender.

Mr Kapeya also told the media that the consultants that were engaged the review the Access to Information Bill (ATI) had completed its work and forwarded the report to the ministry for revision.

He said the technocrats in his ministry were currently studying the report and would conclude the exercise within the course of this week after which the report would be submitted to the ministry of justice for its consideration and advice.

Government recently postponed the presentation of the ATI bill to parliament following realisation that the document was in conflict with some existing pieces of legislation.

‘I must stress that Government would not backtrack on its commitment to enact the Access to Information Bill, we are in a hurry to enact this bill and we will shame our critics who think we have grown cold feet over this issue,” he said.

The minister also announced that Government had decided to give the public media institutions budgetary allocation in the 2014 National budget to help these institutions mitigate challenges that they were experiencing.

He said the Government has allocated K560, 000 to the Times Printpak, the Zambia Daily Mail K 360 ,000, Zambia Printing Company K360, 000 and ZAMCOM K460, 000 .

“We are aware that this is not enough, considering the longstanding financial challenges faced by these institution but the intervention represents Government commitment to ensure the public media institution are helped financially in order to serve the Zambian people better,” he said.

And Mr Kapeya announced that he had submitted the nominees for the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Boards (ZNBC) and were being interviewed by the parliamentary select committee before ratification by Parliament after which he would announce nominees.

He said the ministry had also nominated the board of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and submitted to cabinet for approval and once Government would effect the appointment of the Board as provided for in the IBA act.

And Mr Kapeya said Government acted within the confines of the law on the dismissal of the nurses that went on an illegal strike as announced by Health minister in Parliament on Tuesday