He stressed the state’s keenness to control the sector. Minister Laqab: Our goal is to fill the gaps and ensure strong media practice – Algerian Dialogue

Minister of Communications, Mohamed Laqab, confirmed that the ultimate goal of stipulating the draft law on print and electronic media activity is to provide the sector with a strong legal basis that guarantees strong media practice, and this is within the framework of organizing the sector’s work and filling many gaps.
Minister Mohamed Laqab explained today during his presentation of the draft law on the activity of the written and electronic press before representatives of the National People’s Assembly: “We seek, as a higher goal, to provide the media system with a strong and solid legal basis that enables media professionals to practice their profession and citizens to benefit from the information.”
The same speaker added: “The written and electronic press activity law is a detail of what was stated in general in the media law that was ratified earlier, as it comes within the framework of reviewing the legislative system for the communications sector and reorganizing it in accordance with the aspirations of the sector and the state.”

The Sector Minister stressed that: “The draft law seeks to strengthen democratic and pluralistic thought, in light of the developments taking place at the global level. It also aims to adapt the law to the media law and take into account the reality of the media and its current image.”

Minister Laqab added: “This project is based on the right of the media to send information and citizens to receive it, enhances respect for religions, and reinforces the directives of the President of the Republic, especially his obligations, especially those related to the media.”

On the other hand, the Minister of Communications confirms that: “The draft law seeks to fill many of the loopholes that prevailed in past media legislation, and is keen to control many of the concepts and entities permitted to practice written and electronic journalism.”

In detailing the content of the project, Laqab said: “One of the positives is that, under the project, the electronic and print press are subject to a permit system without the need for an activity license, while all administrative aspects are lifted in the law, in addition to the obligation of the scope of Algerian nationalization on the electronic press.”

The same minister pointed out that: “The draft law seeks to prevent monopoly on the basis that every publisher has the right to own two daily newspapers to prevent the media from falling into one hand and controlling public opinion. It also requires importers of foreign periodicals to obtain licenses from the Ministry of Communication.”

He touched upon the establishment of an authority to regulate the written and electronic press, stating that the details thereof will be in an implementing decree, provided that the project does not contain many implementing decrees.