The Media Institute of Southern Africa met Malawian president Joyce Banda at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre, Malawi's second largest city on June 25. The meeting was also attended by the Media Council of Malawi and selected media managers in the country.
President Banda was congratulated for the key decision she took to repeal Section 46 of the Penal Code, a piece of legislation that previously allowed a cabinet minister to ban any publication deemed not in the public interest. Another positive development that was noted is the removal of value-added tax (VAT) on newsprint.However, the meeting also drew the president's attention to several other key issues that are relevant to how the media in Malawi can function more effectively in the nascent democracy. These include the passing of an Access to Information Law, a draft bill of which has been under consideration for the past eight years; the removal of customs duty on broadcasting equipment; broadcast reforms at state broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC); re-constitution of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) board; and improvement of the conditions under which media conferences are held.
