Executive director of information and communication technology Audrin Mathe has failed to explain why the government has increased funding to its media agencies with millions.
The budget of New Era Publications Corporation (NEPC) and the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) has increased from a combined N$25 million to N$30 million.
"Please check the budget motivation by the minister. We will discuss the merger at an appropriate time," Mathe told The Namibian yesterday.
Mathe, a former New Era chief executive who oversaw a controversial reign at the state newspaper, declined to provide more details on the proposed New Era-Nampa merger.
According to the budget motivation by minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofilus earlier this year, New Era's budget will be used "to continue to disseminate pertinent information through its daily newspaper, New Era, reporting on community and government-related matters".
News about the budget allocation comes at a time of concerns about the government planning to have a Zimbabwean-style news media approach to spread state propaganda.
Similar concerns were also raised after Nampa commercial services head Confidence Musariri was hand-picked as New Era's new managing editor.
The government has failed to publicly provide information on the proposed media merger, amid reports that the item is now being considered by minister of finance and public enterprises Iipimbu Shiimi.
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A leaked government report outlined a plan to create a 'super media company'.
This move could cost taxpayers millions of dollars due to highly paid executives and state officials.
Despite a purported cost-cutting merger, the ministry has motivated that over N$27 million is allocated to New Era and Nampa each and over N$300 million to the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
The amounts for Nampa and New Era are more than double what the entities received in 2022 and previous years.
New Era was allocated N$27.5 million (up N$17.5 million) from its allocation of N$10 million in the 2022/23 financial year.
Nampa received N$27.7 million (up N$12.7 million) from the N$15 million allocated in the previous financial year.
The planned merger between Namra and New Era has been criticised with claims that the government plans to control public media through the mass media company.
- Read the editorial on this on page 11.
