Mozambique: Reporter fees aim to ‘shut down’ media – NGOs

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Mozambique: Reporter fees aim to ‘shut down’ media – NGOs

7:55 CAT | 15 Aug 2018

Photo: DW

Mozambican civil society organisations said on Tuesday that the new fees the government wants to charge reporters and media organisations are intended to “shut down” the country from the outsider and are unsustainable.

“The fees for foreign correspondents obviously show that Mozambique wants to be closed off from the outside world as they are unsustainable”, various NGOs said yesterday in communiqués.

The new fees, which came into force this month, charge a foreign correspondent 500,000 meticals (€7,469) to be able to work in the country.

The NGOs said that the government wants to ensure that any news about Mozambique is only sent out through state-owned media organisations as the costs for foreign reporters are unsupportable.

The NGOs also claim that the law that established the high fees does not explain how they will contribute towards the freedom of the press, speech or information.

Source: Lusa