Tajik television and radio stations no longer need to constantly renew their broadcasting licenses and other permits that were required from them by previous legislation.
Last year, two laws – “On Licensing Certain Types of Activities” and “On the Permit System” — were merged, and now all media permits have become unlimited.
Ranzhet Yatimov, a media lawyer at the Homa Public Association, told Novyi Reportyor (New Reporter) in an interview that the new law “On the Permit System” provides for easing the work of local media outlets, which were previously forced to spend a lot of time to obtain permits in government bodies.
The expert recalls that according to the country’s legislation, all broadcasters must have several permits:
- Broadcasting license from the Committee for TV and Radio-broadcasting under the Government of Tajikistan;
- License for the production and sale of audiovisual products;
- Permission to use radio frequencies from the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan.
Print media and news agencies must have a certificate of state registration, which is issued by the Ministry of Culture. Moreover, under amendments made in 2017, in order to obtain this certificate they must provide the Ministry of Culture with a certificate from the State Committee for National Security (SCNS). The requirement is set out in the Procedure for State Registration of Printing Enterprises and Maintaining the Unified State Register.
“After the valid permits, which are necessary for Tajik media to operate, expire, they will be able to obtain new, unlimited licenses and permits,” Yatimov said.
Until 2023, the validity period of all these documents ranged from three to five years, and accordingly, the media outlets constantly had to extend their terms and each time go through rather complex bureaucratic procedures.
