Based on the confirmation of the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC), the Council of Ministers of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IAE) has decided that the frequency fees of media outlets in the first level provinces should be reduced by %50 and the debt incurred by the media outlets as a result of the frequency fees can now be paid in three year instalments.
The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) during the past months held several advocacy meetings with officials of the MoIC, IAE’s spokesperson, local administrations and officials of Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) to address the issue arising from debts incurred by the media outlets because of the frequency fees and reduction of it.
In the latest effort, AJSC officials accompanied by a number of media managers of the first level provinces met with Qudratullah Jamal, deputy minister administration and finance of the MoIC, and officials of ATRA, and discussed solutions to this issue.
In this meeting, it was decided that AJSC would send an official letter to the MoIC asking for reduction of frequency fees, exemption from paying all or part of the frequency costs of the past years or agreeing on instalment payments plan, so that this issue can be addressed.
AJSC drafted and submitted an official letter to MoIC on July 22, 2024, alongside requests from visual and audio media houses in Kandahar, Herat, Balkh and Nangarhar provinces asking for reduction of frequency fees, exemption from paying all or part of the frequency costs of the past years or agreeing on instalment payments plan, and urged this ministry to address this challenge.
AJSC considers this to be a constructive step from the government towards visual and audio media’s sustainability and grow in the first level provinces and urges the government to also address other challengers facing media work.
Furthermore, the government’s this decision will enable better reporting and facilitate audiences’ access to critical and credible information.
AJSC has been consistently working to address challenges facing the media and facilitate a safe environment for journalists.
