Zambia has commended the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decision to defer the launch of the SADC Television Bouquet aimed at promoting regional integration
Zambia’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Kampamba Mulenga said the decision would enable SADC member states to come up with an acceptable framework that will promote the fair sharing of TV content and the retention of heritage.
Ms. Kampamba confirmed that SADC Ministers who are attending the SADC meeting on Communications and ICT in Durban South Africa deferred the launch to August 2018 due to many factors that were not clarified.
She said among the factors were the nature and harmonisation of local content into the SADC television bouquet, language barriers and regulatory framework that would ensure that there was integration with the norms of members countries
Ms. Kampamba noted that a team of technocrats has since been constituted and tasked to find best ways of addressing the contentious issues to facilitate for the launch of the regional digital television bouquet.
Meanwhile, Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba says Zambia has the potential of raising over six million dollars annually through enactment of a levy on the usage of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
He said Zambia has a huge number of subscribers using smart phones that enable them deliver voice communication using different methods.
Mr. Mushimba said government will consider the idea as a tax revenue measure as this has already been implemented in some African countries at minute costs to internet users.
He was speaking during the SADC meeting of Ministers for Communications and ICT in Durban South Africa
Mrs. Naomi Nyawali
First Secretary Press and Public Relations.
Zambia’s High Commission to South Africa.
Email kayulachulu@yahoo.com
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