Elias Mhegera
SERVICE providers have been called to reduce tariffs in order to allow a big segment of Tanzanians to access communication facilities.
The call was made by the Deputy Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Charles Kitwanga who was then Guest of Honour at the 10th Annual Broadcasters Conference at the Kunduchi Beach on Friday last week.
The occasion was organized by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), and well attended by providers of services in the electronic media namely radio and televisions.
The theme of the event was “Taking Advantage of the Broadband Infrastructure to Provide Broadcasting Services in East Africa: Challenges for Content Creation and Delivery”.
Kitwanga said that although the influx of cellular phone providers have reduced tariffs much to the advantage of consumers, but yet a big segment of Tanzanians are not enjoying the advent of such technologies.
He therefore called for providers of these services to negotiate among themselves in order to reach a point where every Tanzanian can manage to own and operate a cellular phone.
The deputy minister said that communication is so vital in improving the lives of the people. He lauded the electronic media for its vital contribution in making people to know policies and vote for right candidates during the recent past elections.
Himself a Member of Parliament for Misungwi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) he said that communication technology is an enhancer and enabler of development to people in some many ways.
He warned Tanzanians however, to be wary of the side effects of ICTs and electronic media in general. He also counseled importers of the communication devices to tell the truth to their customers that the analogue technology will be replaced in 2012 by the digital component.
Speaking earlier before the minister was retired Justice Buxton Chipeta who is the TCRA Board Chairman who called for a continued support from the private sector in the media industry.
He lauded its contribution due to quick delivery of communication services, educating the masses, entertainment and unveiling of challenges affecting the people which have prompted the government to find solution immediately.
Justice Chipeta called for constant training of the service providers in order to cope with the challenges that are associated with globalization of the communication industry.
Earlier the Acting Director General of the TCRA, Ms Rehema Makuburi said that communication is a crosscutting process which can facilitate the entire government sector to realize their goals more quickly.
She urged media operators to take advantage of the advent of the SEACOM and EASSY broadband cables to enhance cooperation of the East African countries in the communication industry.
Ms Makuburi urged service providers to cope with the fast changing trends in communication, and the challenges facing the industry and how broadcasting should be managed efficiently.
The Director of Sahara Media Group Samuel Nyalla said that he was welcoming the new technologies but precaution that the implementation will be associated with heavy coasts which he demands the government to subsidize.
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