The Guyana Press Association (GPA) on Monday evening called out Government over the fact that media operatives are yet to receive media passes for the year 2018.
In a statement released to the media, the GPA explained that the association had initially met with the Department of Public Information’s (DPIs) Director, Imran Khan on January 30, 2018 “where among other issues the two groups discussed the issuance of media passes.”
It was relayed that at that very meeting, concerns were raised by the Press Association about the misuse of media passes over the years “by the politically headed organisation.”
According to the GPA, Khan said that DPI was “not comfortable” with the issuance of media passes.
To this end, the GPA said it asserted that it has always believed that the body should issue media passes to bona fide members of the media and as such, they submitted a legal Agreement for the “Accreditation of media Workers” on February 11, 2018 to guide the process.
“Since there was no formal acknowledgement or response to our submission, several GPA Executives sought to verbally ascertain the status of the agreement. We were told that the agreement was with then Acting Prime Minister, Vice President Carl Greenidge and then at one time the agreement is with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo,” the GPA noted.
Futhermore, the GPA posited that on April 16, 2018, another written inquiry was made regarding the status of the agreement. However, this too, it said, has gone unanswered.
“It is now May, 2018 and our members and colleagues are without legitimate media passes for the year,” the press association said, while noting that they stand “ready to discuss accreditation in the new year with clear commitments to respecting time and this profession.”
