UPPA Protests Museveni’s Directive on Advertisements

The Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA) has called on President Yoweri  Museveni to rescind the government’s move to ring-fence public advertisements for state-owned UBC and Vision Group.

Recently the Secretary to Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi issued fresh directives to all accounting officers in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to implement the presidential directive of ring-fencing advertisements for only state-owned media Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and Vision Group, and threatened to sanction those who will refuse to abide by the new directive.

Led by UPPA President Sam Ibanda Mugabi, the concerned members said the decision will cripple the private media and will have adverse effect on their operations since the governments all over the world are the biggest advertisers.

They said if the decision of denying the private media business is not revoked it will drain them financially; as a result, many of the workers will be laid off.

They have now joined NAB in boycotting the coverage of Ministers during plenary and committee meetings at Parliament. Recently the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) threatened to boycott broadcasting government events until President Yoweri Museveni revoked his directive.

Uganda has a lively broadcasting scene, with more than 200 radio stations and around 30 TV networks and digital online News platforms, most of them privately owned.