14 January 2017

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed announced at the headquarters of the Tunisian National Journalists Union (SNJT) Saturday eleven measures and decisions during an inner Cabinet meeting held the day before.

- Establishing the governance of public advertising for print and electronic media through the creation of a committee setting the criteria for granting advertising and another committee for granting and distributing advertising,

- Dedicating 5 pc of the revenues of the public advertisement to the staff association of Tunisian journalists.

- Adopting the system of direct subscription of public institutions to newspapers and periodicals, in accordance with Article 49 of the decree organising public procurement

- Reducing, over a period of three years, broadcasting costs for private radio and television stations in difficulty.

This reduction will be made from 2017. Six months free of charge will be granted to media institutions concerned with rescheduling of their debts with the National Office of Television Broadcasting for a period of up to 10 years after study and subtraction of late penalties:

20 pc for radios broadcasting on Greater Tunis and in most regions

50 pc for regional radios

20 pc for private televisions

- Publishing, before the end of February 2017, a special decree for contracts for the acquisition of audiovisual productions at the Tunisian Television Corporation,

- Establishing a clear vision on the organisation of the activities of TV production companies, by drawing on international standards and consulting with representatives of the profession and the relevant ministerial departments,

- Considering the file of SNIPE-La Presse at the next periodic meeting of the Committee for the Re-organisation and Restructuring of Public Enterprises,

- Completing the sale of the two confiscated establishments "Assabah" and "Shems FM" before September 2017 while guaranteeing the rights of all personnel,

- Implementing the agreement on the regularisation of the situation of journalists working in the regional offices of the Tunisian Radio,

- Providing a lot of land to the Union for the realization of a housing project for the benefit of journalists.

A committee consisting of representatives of the Prime Ministry, the Ministries of Public Works, Housing and Spatial Planning and the State Secretariat for Land Affairs will be set up for this purpose.

-Finishing off procedures allowing the SNJT to become the owner of the current premises of the Union.

© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2017