Malawi government communication policies under review
Government through the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is in the process of reviewing policies, tools and laws that govern communication in the country.
According to the Director of Information (DoI) in the ministry, Gideon Munthali, the ministry is in the process of developing a communication policy that will assist them in planning and developing a sequence of communication priorities.
The communication policy currently in use was formulated in 1998.
Munthali made the remarks on Tuesday in Salima during a media briefing on government’s current approach to communication matters.
“Realizing that matters of today cannot be governed by guidelines of the past, government is now in the process of reviewing all outdated policies. Once the tool is ready, proper assessment will be done on whether government is delivering on its communication pledges by both the media and public,” Munthali explained.
According to the DoI, government is currently focusing on how to execute communication plans hence the coming up with a communication policy that Malawi has never had.
“Once this is complete, the tool is expected to help fill the communication gaps that currently exist on the part of government,” added Munthali.
Munthali’s presentation was in response to assertions from some media outlets that government is constantly reluctant to provide them with the information they require.
Recently, the Malawi Parliament also passed the Access to Information (ATI) Act which seeks to help Malawians, including Journalists, easily access information from public and private offices.
