FIJI: Media decree amendments exempt statutory bodies, schools and universities

Maca Lutunauga

SUVA: Amendments have been made to Fiji’s Media Decree to exempt a number of persons, and organisations from various provisions of the decree.

Those exempted include government or statutory bodies, schools and universities that have websites and others as stipulated in the amendment.

Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says those exempted will not have to apply for registration of their businesses or websites, and the exemptions will be made by the Prime Minister who is also the Minister for Information.
 

“What the decree does is that it moves a step further in the sense that it gives the Prime Minister the powers to exempt the application of the decree to certain organisations in the first place. For example some schools who have a website who may have a newsletter - so they may say, 'Oh we fall under the decree so we have to apply for the exemption, what this amendment does is to say - it does not apply to you in the first place'.” - Fiji Broadcasting Corporation/Pacific Media Watch