Office determined to complete censorship review

By LULU MARK
THE Censorship Office is determined to complete the national censorship review “to ensure decency is maintained in society”, says acting Chief Censor Jim Abani.
He told The National yesterday from Alotau in Milne Bay where a consultation workshop on the review is being held, that it was important to get feedbacks from the people.
“The last policy lapsed in 2018 and the review started last year,” he said.
“Consultation with the Highlands, Momase and New Guinea Islands regions was completed last year. This one is for the Southern region.”
Community Development, Youth and Religion Minister Wake Goi is in Alotau to open the two-day workshop.
Abani said the pace at which changes were happening was fast, thus, getting the policy for the next five years was crucial.
He said 90 to 95 per cent of the focus areas in the last policy included:

• The Censorship Office getting financial autonomy;
• An increase in manpower from 25 to 60 staff; and,
• Rebranding of the organisation.

He said the 5 per cent not achieved included the regulating of the music industry and commercial advertisement highlighted in the policy reviews.
He said with the increase in the use of technology, the proposed internet filtration system was an important consideration in the review as well.
“Since the office started some 30 years ago, the office is now in a better position to perform its functions,” he said.
“At one stage, due to government decision on downsizing of manpower, the office had only eight to 12 officers looking after seven to eight million people.”