The government is in the process of introducing new legislation to regulate electronic media in Sri Lanka, Cabinet spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said on Tuesday (May 30).
Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the media that a broadcast authority law is being formulated for this purpose.
He further stated that the draft prepared by a cabinet subcommittee under Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will be made public soon.
Discussions have been held with various parties on the draft and the Justice Minister is expected to commence discussions with the public and private stakeholders in the coming weeks.
The draft which is a legal framework that will be acceptable for all sectors will be given to all media institutions and broadcast media, he said.
Minister Gunawardena added that the move comes as it has been observed that at present, Sri Lanka has issued frequencies without conforming to ‘international procedures’.
The State Television Act under which Sri Lanka television frequencies are issued has been repeatedly misused in the past, especially for election-related activities.
Ruling party members have repeatedly called for the regulation of private media, while currently there are also growing calls to regulate social media as well. (NewsWire)