Broadcasters boycott govt activities over ban

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the apex body of all broadcast media houses in Uganda yesterday announced a countrywide boycott of the coverage of all government activities following a contentious ban on state advertising in private media houses.
      
In a July 18 letter to Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary of Finance ministry and Secretary to the Treasury, copied to the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and others, the association Secretary General, Mr Joseph Beyanga, said broadcasters had with immediate effect stopped coverage of all government programmes unless government reverses its decision to ban advertising in private media houses.

In a recent budget implementation circular, Mr Ggoobi, who was communicating what high-level sources called a “precarious” presidential directive, ordered that all government adverts be placed in government-owned media houses.

“....all government advertising must be through the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation [UBC]. Any accounting officer who deviates from this will be sanctioned including dismissal. Print media advertising should be done through the New Vision. I, therefore, urge all accounting officers to strictly adhere to the directive,” the budget execution circular reads in part.

The directive touted as a panacea to UBC perennial underfunding that has crippled the state broadcaster for years, Mr Museveni in a March 6 letter to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, directed that with effect from 2024/25 Financial Year budget, UBC be given Shs30b annually as well as all government advertising deals. He also warned that any accounting officer who deviates from the new arrangement be sacked.  

The presidential directive triggered immediate protests from the broadcasters and other media players in the country, who said it contravenes several provisions in the law and practice. The new ban on private advertising, according to other sector players, defeats the logic behind the liberalisation of the economy at a time when the National Resistance Movement government is struggling to create jobs for Ugandans. Mr Museveni has over the years praised his liberation policy for creating wealth and jobs for Ugandans.

However, Mr Beyanga said the directive on state advertising is uncalled for because the 1995 Constitution, the PPDA act, the East African Treaty and other protocols, all speak to government’s reinforcement of the private sector-led economy aimed at strengthening and coordinating policies and initiatives geared towards growing and developing business enterprise in competitive and fair manner.

“We write to formally communicate our protest in respect of the Budget Execution Circular (BEC) for the financial year 2023/2024 (REF/BPD 86/179/01, dated 10th July 2023) and make specific reference to paragraph 11 of the circular [on government advertising],” the letter reads.

The broadcasters also cited a number of provisions within Ugandan and East African Community laws that emphasise equality of all persons’ access to all opportunities and benefits presented by the above project without prejudice and discrimination on ground of sex race, colour ethnic origin, tribe, birth, creed or religion, social or economic standing political opinion or disability.

Mr Beyanga explained that the National Strategy for Private Sector Development FY 2017/18-2021/22 sets out a comprehensive scheme for coordinating the growth and development of the private sector in Uganda.

“Our protest as an industry is that, the implementation of the said directive in your circular will not only contravene the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda but also set a precedent that goes against government’s own policy that champions a private sector-led economy,” he said.

“In light of the aforementioned, we are left with no option but to let you know that henceforth, the members of the National Association of Broadcasters shall not be obliged to cover any government activity until the said directive is reversed,” the letter adds.
The broadcasters have requested a meeting with Mr Ggoobi and other government officials, who may be relevant to the subject matter in order to find an amicable solution for all stakeholders.

In 2017, the media fraternity and other civil society organisations in Kenya fought a similar attempt by the former president Uhuru Kenyatta to ban state advertising from private media, in a move the then government said would help it save money.