Members of National Parliament have lauded the plan by the State Secretary of Social Communication (SEKOMS) to open a news agency in Timor-Leste.
Member of Parliament MP Pedro da Costa Martires said doing so would fulfill SEKOMS’ duty to public to disseminate information about their work to the public.
“As the people’s representatives very happy, because it is (SEKOMS’) duty,” MP Pedro Martires da Costa said at National Parliament.
Member of Commission A (institutional, justice, public administration, local power and anti-corruption affairs) MP Francisco da Costa said the news agency was important but needed to be regulated.
“Firstly we should create regulation. If someone comes and opens the news agency in Timor-Leste he or she should cooperate with the media of Timor-Leste,” said MP da Costa said.
State Secretariat of Social Communication, Nelio Isac, said the priorities of SEKOMS this year were to train journalists, professionalize Radio-Televisão Timor-Leste (RTTL), support social communication bodies, pay attention to community radio, and pass social communication laws as well as create a press council and establish a news agency in Timor.
“In 2014 in the first semester we should give good quality training to the journalists who will work in the agency,” Isac said.
He said the agency was planned be established in the second and third semester of the year.
