Provisions for operationalisation of Access to Information (ATI) are with the Ministry of Justice for legal vetting, Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Minister, Mark Botomani, said Wednesday.
Botomani said this when he visited Times Group Head Office in Blantyre Wednesday.
“The Access to Information Act touches on all the ministries, departments and agencies. Now these entities have varying frameworks they operate in. We needed to develop the provisions for all the entities and this is something we have done,” he said.
Botomani said the provisions will be sent to a technical committee on the Act, comprising officials from his ministry, that of Justice and Malawi Human Rights Commission.
Botomani embarked on the tour to appreciate challenges media houses face in their work to see how the government can intervene.
He hailed the role of the media and Times Group in particular for the promotion of socio economic development of the country.
He said Times Group, being the oldest media house in the country, has remained a source of entertainment and credible information for a long time.
Times Group Editor-in- Chief, George Kasakula, said the coming of the minister shows that the government appreciates the role the company plays in promoting socio economic development of the country.
“Times Group operate in an environment which is regulated by the government. We have voiced our concerns and the minister has also voiced out his concerns. These meetings are important because we serve the same people of Malawi.
Times is the only media house with radio, television, print and online platforms in Malawi.