SECTOR 2 2.6 Government promotes a diverse media landscape with economically sustainable and independent media outlets. The Togolese government has begun to provide some direct financial support to the media sector. In 2006 and 2007, amounts of 50 and 37,5 million FCFA (US$ 100 000 and 75 000) respectively were assigned for the construction and rehabilitation of the Maison de la Presse. The amount of state financial assistance was then set at 75 million FCFA but was not disbursed in 2008. It appears that the first interventions of government in the sector were primarily guided by the desire to secure the support of journalists in the outlets selected. Every beginning of the year the president invites organizations to exchange new year wishes. In January 2009, President Faure Gnassingbé announced at this occasion that the subsidy would be increased to 350 million FCFA. One panelist pointed out, though, that the actual allocation in the current budget is 75 million. Another expressed doubt whether the financial assistance already granted had indeed been used for the intended purposes. In effect, the overall amount of assistance for the media from the public purse has come to 350 million FCFA in 2009. A direct subsidy of 200 million FCFA was distributed among 78 media organisations (4 television channels, 34 radio stations and 40 print publications) and 4 professional bodies (Conseil National des Patrons de Presse - the national media owners council, the Union of Independent Journalists of Togo, Observatoire Togolais des Médias - a media monitoring body, and Maison de la Presse). A budget of 95 million FCFA was allocated for training and a further 5 million FCFA was spent on covering the operational costs of the commission in charge of aid to the media. Financial or economic measures in support of the media are provided for by the act governing the Press Code in its articles 4 and 5. According to the act these may be “in the form of support for the collection and transmission of information by means of preferential tariffs or tax exemptions on telephone, fax and courier services, transport, tapes, cassettes, compact discs and others”. In the opinion of some panelists, however, the intention expressed in the law has not materialised in practice when it comes to economic support. One of the reasons is that there are no regulations for proper implementation. In fact, the Press Code states that “the conditions and modalities of determining preferential and other support measures will be set by decree in the council of ministers”. While the allocation of direct subsidies may indeed have conformed with the provisions of the law in 2009, the regulations were not applied in 2010, at least not up until the time when the AMB meeting took place (September 2010). 102 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TOGO 2010