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The Tanzania Communications Authority (TCRA) has announced plans to review media license fees and related regulations, aiming to reduce costs and update rules that journalists and media outlets have long requested to be changed.
TCRA Director, Mr. Jabiri Kuwe Bakari, made the remarks yesterday during a working session held at the PSSSF Hall in Dar es Salaam with representatives of online journalists.
He said the government, through TCRA, has heard the concerns of media practitioners and is committed to addressing them.
“The biggest concern raised was the high cost of license fees and numerous regulations that are limiting journalists and their outlets. We have decided to take action on this,” Mr. Bakari said.
To ensure that the review reflects the views of the media, he instructed journalists to nominate four representatives to join TCRA officials in reviewing license fees, regulations, laws, and policies, and to make recommendations for reforms.
“Here is TBN and JUMIKITA. Now you yourselves choose two members from each side to join our experts in reviewing the fees and regulations, and propose recommendations for the government’s consideration,” Mr. Bakari added.
Representing the journalists, the Chairman of the Tanzania Bloggers Network (TBN), Mr. Beda Msimbe, said Tanzania’s license fees are significantly higher than those in neighboring countries and globally.
He urged the government to reduce or eliminate these fees and replace them with only registration fees, allowing more young journalists to pursue self-employment.
Shaabani Matwebe, Chairman of the Tanzania Online Journalists Association (JUMIKITA), raised concerns over restricted access to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, which are vital sources of income for content creators.
He requested that the government engage with these platforms to ensure creators in Tanzania can earn, similar to other countries.
Mr. Matwebe also suggested that problematic accounts should be handled individually rather than restricting access to all Tanzanians, citing the recent closure of Instagram accounts belonging to activist Ms. Mange Kimambi.
Other issues highlighted included difficulties in accessing the NeST system and high taxes imposed by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), which journalists claim are disproportionate to their earnings.
Mr. Bakari assured that TCRA would coordinate with the relevant institutions to hold sessions where journalists could directly discuss these challenges.
The session brought together representatives from online journalists, the Tanzania Online Journalists Association (JUMIKITA), and the Tanzania Bloggers Network (TBN).