The government has said it plans to start providing loans to journalists so that they can develop professionally, professionally, commercially and be able to buy work equipment so that they can work effectively in line with the growth of information technology.
The Chief Government Spokesperson, Mr. Greyson Msingwa said yesterday at a working session held at the PSSSF hall in Dar es Salaam between TCRA and online journalists where he said that in the government’s assessment, it has seen the need to provide loans to journalists as it has been providing loans to other social groups.
Mr. Msingwa who is also the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, said that as a major stakeholder of journalists in his position, he will ensure that he fights for them with all his might and defends them so that they can access the loan opportunities.
“My dear journalists, I fight hard for you in our sessions, where I have allocated three parts, money from youth loans of 200 billion, money from my ministry’s budget and money from various stakeholders including TCRA. We cannot lack money to lend you all these three parts”, said Mr. Msigwa
He said they are following the instructions of the Sixth Phase government led by President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, which aims to collaborate with various stakeholders for the benefit of the nation and that this issue of loans is his effort that he instructed them to ensure that they properly nurture the media and online journalists in general.
He said that the needs of online journalists are not great because they do not need large studios, big cameras themselves need modern working equipment to do their jobs effectively so loans ranging from 5 to 10 million shillings cannot be denied to them.
However, he urged the media and journalists in Tanzania not to accept being called weak and to strive to fight foreign media and networks that are trying to defame the Tanzanian government.
“Your army is very big, do not accept being called weak, you are not weak. There are networks that are planning to tarnish Tanzania, you guys do not accept Tanzania being tarnished, try to respond by writing about the good things about your country. If these people disturb the peace, we will all perish”, he stressed, Mr. Msingwa
At the session, journalists were represented by online journalists, the Tanzania Online Journalists Association (JUMIKITA) and the Tanzania Bloggers Network [TBN].
