Government allocates MAD 50 million to support press companies

Moroccan communication minister and spokesman of the government, Nabil Benabdallah, announced on Friday that King Mohammed VI has instructed the government to allocate a budget of MAD 50 million to support press companies.

The minister told the opening session of the national press convention held in this sea resort the subsidy will be granted to companies that commit to respect provisions related to the evolution and modernization of the program-contract linking the government and the federation of editors.

This experience, went on Benabdellah, will be assessed after a year in order to enrich it and develop it while seeing to the respect of the press enterprises freedom.

Themed "When the media progress, democracy moves forward," the convention, opened this Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, government members, MPs, political party leaders, representatives of international NGOs, foreign experts, delegates of trade unions and associations.

The Ministry of Communication, the Press Union (SNPM) and the Federation of Newspapers Publishers (FMEJ) are organising this first convention of the print this March 11- 12 in order to examine the press reforms needed to support the reforms undertaken in Morocco.

The convention would provide ground to express the need for an approach to guarantee freedom of speech, access to information and free and responsible journalism. Modernising press companies, reconsidering the juridical frame, providing a healthy socio-economic environment for journalists to carry out their mission, defining freedom concepts and auto-regulation are some themes to be addressed during the meeting of Moroccan professionals.