The three-year contract-programme between the government and the National Company for Radio and Television (SNRT), was signed, on Wednesday in Rabat, as part of applying the provisions of the audiovisual communication law.
During a ceremony presided by the Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, the contract-programme was signed by Fathallah Oualalou, minister of Finances and Privatisation and Nabil Benabdallah, minister of Communication and Spokesperson of the Government and the SNRT's general manager, Faial Laraichi.
The 2006-2008 period of the contract-programme has been allocated a budget of MAD 1170 million, in addition to MAD 556 million through the Fund for the Audiovisual Promotion and MAD 820 million, as part of the SNRT's share in the audiovisual promotion.
For its part, the SNRT expressed its commitment to enlarge the media coverage of the national territory, guarantee the generalisation of broadcasting free services of the society, modernise the means of production and broadcasting in conformity with the most advanced technological norms.
It will also seek to diversify the content of the services presented by the SNRT in the information, educational, cultural fields to meet the needs imposed by the diversity on the linguistic, regional, and national levels.
The SNRT's commitment also concerns the increase of the SNRT financial resources, particularly the revenues of advertisement that will exceed MAD 645 million in the aforementioned period, implementation of a MAD-426 million investment programme.
The large share of this amount will be dedicated to the upgrading of the structures and equipments of the SNRT, intensification of its efforts to set up a modern system of management to face the obstacles imposed by the liberlisation of the sector and its openness to the private actors.
For his part, Driss Jettou affirmed that the signature of this contract-programme constitutes a new step in the process of liberalising and organising the audiovisual sector that represents one of the important workshops dedicated to the the values of freedom and democracy in Morocco.
Jettou added that the process of developing this sector will continue by allowing the SNRT to benefit from the new financial resources in order to fully assume the mission of public service in the information, educational, and entertainment fields.
In turn, Minister of Communication, spokesperson of the government Nabil Benabdellah said that the contract-programme precises the SNRT's commitments in promoting the national audiovisual production, gives priority to the national human resources, contributes to the promotion of Moroccan cinematographic production, consolidates the cultural diversity and encourages the national sport.
Minister of Finances and Privatisation, Fathallah Oualalou, stressed that this contract is part of the contractual policy adopted by the government to clarify and define its relations with the public institutions in order to encourage it to multiply its efforts and improve its productivity through direct and indirect help from the state.
By Morad Aziz
© Morocco Times 2006
