[pima.nius] FIJI REGIME WARNS OF MEDIA REGISTRATION DEADLINE

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center
With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai'i

---

FIJI REGIME WARNS OF MEDIA REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Noncompliant organizations face fine, prison

By Rachna Lal
SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, July 27, 2010) - The 30-day time frame given to the media outlets in Fiji to register under the new Media Industry Development Decree comes to an end today following the commencement of the decree on June 28.

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirmed to FijiLive the deadline is today and media organizations who have not complied with the aspects of the media decree will be dealt with standard procedures.

He however declined to release the names of those media organizations who have not complied with the media decree at this stage.

Part 6 of the Media Industry Development Decree states "Every media organization that provides or intends to provide media services must be registered".

According to the decree, "A media organization is registered when the proprietor deposits with the Authority a sworn statement(s) duly sworn and signed by the proprietor and in the case of the print media, by the proprietor or by the persons intended to be printer and the publisher of the newspaper".

The sworn statement also must contain full disclosure of all ownership interests held by any person, or in the case of a company, a list of its shareholders.

"Any media organization no registered in accordance with this section of the decree commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction in the case of a natural person to a fine not exceeding FJ$10,000 US$5,000] or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both and in the case of a company to a fine not exceeding FJ$100, 000 [US$50,000]," the decree states.

The section also warns media organizations or persons from providing misleading information or failing to provide, withholding or omitting any information which is material to the application for registration.

Those caught doing this will also be punishable in the case of a natural person to a fine not exceeding FJ$10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both and in the case of a company to a fine not exceeding FJ$100,000.

Fijilive: http://www.fijilive.com
Copyright © 2010 Fijilive. All Rights Reserved

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------
The pima.nius googlegroup is a facility for discussion and distributing information. Content sent by this googlegroup are forwarded from various networks and media publications.
 
DISCLAIMER: These emails are unedited and discussions made through this googlegroup are unmoderated. Announcements made through this googlegroup do not constitute endorsement for the organisations, individuals or opinions featured. Please check the integrity of organisations and individuals before exchanging personal information with them.
 
- - - - - - - - -
comment here:
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius/topics?hl=en
 
send an email comment here:
pima-nius@googlegroups.com
 
unsubscribe:
pima-nius+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
 
more options
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius?hl=en?hl=en
 
- - - - - - - - -