She said Government believes that the three areas of focus are key in repositioning the media industry so that it plays an effective role in the governance and development of the country. And the Media Liaison Committee Chairperson Enock Ngoma said the ZAMEC Bill is important in shaping the future of the media industry in the country. Mr. Ngoma said once enacted into law, ZAMEC will ensure that only a cadre of professional journalists and media personnel practice. He said there is need for all media practitioners to have faith and embrace the document to restore order and public confidence in the industry. Mr. Ngoma said the committee will continue to pursue all avenues to ensure that the media have space to freely practice without any interference. He said with the good political will from the current administration, Zambia deserves a vibrant media supported by ZAMEC. And Mr. Ngoma has called for comprehensive media law reforms to enhance operations of the media in the country. He cited the ZNBC Act, the IBA Act and the Cyber-crimes laws as some of the laws which need to be amended. “IBA needs to realign itself and effectively contribute to the development of the media in Zambia rather than being used to clamp down on media institutions while ZNBC needs to be a true public broadcaster and operate independently just like Government has always been assuring all along,” said Mr. Ngoma. The presentation of the Draft ZAMEC Bill is a culmination of some of the engagements undertaken by the TWGMR as chronicled in the previous State of the Media Report. It is commendable that the Draft Bill has finally been presented to the Ministry for further consideration and eventual presentation to Cabinet and subsequently Parliament for enactment. 20