DODOMA: THE Ministry of Information, Cuture, Arts and Sports has achieved significant milestones across various sectors, following a remarkable increase in its budget from 20.7bn/- to 285.3bn/- over the past four years.
The Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, said in Dodoma yesterday that the substantial budget increase under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan has enabled the Ministry to implement a wide range of impactful projects.
The minister noted that major policy and operational reforms under the sixth phase government have empowered media institutions in the country to keep pace with rapid developments in science and technology.
Prof Kabudi said the ministry has brought stability to the media sector, leading to an increase in media freedom-thanks to President Samia’s 4Rs— Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms and Rebuilding.
This progress enabled Tanzania to climb the global Press Freedom Index, moving from position 143 in 2023 to position 97 in 2024.
“We believe Tanzania will continue to rise even further. This progress reflects President Samia’s genuine efforts to strengthen the media sector in the country,” he stated.
He said, as of March, this year, Tanzania 1,042 registered media outlets, including 372 newspapers, 247 radio stations, 355 online media platforms and 68 television stations.
ALSO READ: Kabudi sees Tanzanian image in Arts, Culture
He added that this enabling environment has allowed Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Limited (TSN) to successfully enter the digital news market by launching an e-paper, publishing content across social media platforms and delivering digital content through its online channel (Daily News Digital).
As a result, TSN has reached a total of 80 million followers—11.1 million through its website, 42.3 million via social media and 26.6 million on YouTube.
“These achievements reflect the Sixth Phase Government’s commitment to strengthening the media sector to serve Tanzanians more efficiently in the digital era,” he added.
On strengthening TSN’s printing infrastructure, the Minister noted that 18.2bn/- has been allocated over the past four years for this initiative.
He reported that construction of the new printing facility has reached 53 per cent completion, procurement of new printing machinery is at 80 per cent and acquisition of working tools and vehicles has reached 27 per cent.
In addition, the minister highlighted that significant progress has been made in enhancing public access to information through the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).
According to Prof Kabudi, this project ensures that more citizens receive timely and accurate information, reflecting the government’s commitment to strengthening public communication systems and ensuring equal access to information for all Tanzanians, regardless of their location.
