A number of media officials and members of agencies included under article three of public media law discussed the presidential decree in regards to media financial penalties relief in a meeting today.
In this meeting, representatives from ministries of finance, information and culture, Breshna directorate, Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), and journalists’ support unions had participated and they discussed this presidential decree.
This presidential decree was issued on April 29 and in spite of its publication by government media, media and other organizations included in the provisions of this decree have not begun to settle their financial issues down. Therefore, this meeting was held today to provide detailed explanation about this presidential decree.
Based on this presidential decree, media and other organizations included in clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, and 19 of public media law have been relieved of their previous financial penalties and their financial rebates shall be paid in a seven year instalments.
Around 3000 organizations have been included in this decree as a result of being fined for failing to pay their taxes, electricity bills; lack of broadcasting license renewal, or due to failure to pay their Frequency license.
According to the investigations carried out by relative agencies, the total amount of media and other included organization’s financial rebates are amounted about 600 million Afghanis; from which around 280 million Afghanis are due to these penalties. These penalties have been relieved based on the presidential decree and the remaining dues shall be paid in a seven year installments.
The representatives of the organizations which had drafted the proposal to relieve these penalties asserted that media and the organizations which are included in article three of this presidential decree have three months to settle down their financial issues with related government agencies.
Faheem Dashty the director of Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union (ANJU) stated: “it is obvious that it is impossible to settle down the financial rebates of all these 3000 media and organizations, but each of these organizations can begin to resolve their financial issues with related government agencies. Otherwise, they cannot enjoy from the provisions of this presidential decree once this three months deadline is over.”
The presidential decree has been issued on April 29, and it shall expire by July 29.
