STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA the media are to serve the public and contribute to the attainment of functional democracy. iv. Enactment of Media regulation and Access to Information Bills As a step forward, it is critical that the Access to Information Bill is enacted to improve ability of citizens to hold their government accountable. While some consensus has been reached regarding the ZAMEC Bill, it is critical that the enactment be approached cautiously with a guarantee of independence given some of the compromising traits observed in the existing regulatory institutions during the two quarters. v. Enhancement of autonomy and Independence of the IBA It is critical that independence of the IBA be guaranteed and the institution be given the necessary autonomy even in practice to professionally handle matters related to the broadcasting sector. Some of the incidents observed during the quarter suggest unfair application of provisions of the IBA Act with the potential of stifling, instead of developing a pluralistic and diverse media environment. Some of the concerns include the government’s power to appoint board members of the IBA as well as the need for an inclusive approach to clearly prevent undue influence from the parent Ministry. Further, IBA must be given power to regulate public media houses like ZNBC in order to create a level playing field for all media houses. vi. Safeguarding the sustainability of media enterprises Given the negative economic trends observed in the quarter, it is critical that the stimulus package introduced and other empowerment schemes also take into cognisant the needs of the media sector. Deliberate moves must be taken through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to develop a package of incentives (tax, non-tax, empowerment) to bail out media houses from what is expected to be a tough year economically. There must be, as a matter of urgency, creation of a specific media stimulus package just like that created for the arts industry through the National Arts Council. pg. 47