National advertising council set to restore order

Members of the National Advertising Council appointed by presidential decree have meet in their first session this Friday 19th December 2014.

The meeting which was presided over by the Council’s chairman, Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary took place at the conference hall of the Ministry of Communication.

The session began with a row call to ensure that the quorum was met before deliberations began with the appointment of members into different committees.

The committees included:

•Attribution of advertisers’ Licenses;

•The legislative and judicial committee;

•Deontology and settlement of litigations.

The chairman of the council, Issa Tchiroma Bakary in his opening address, noted that the primary role of the council is to restore order and discipline in the advertising sector in the country.

He added that the priority of the current session is to prepare the framework for the renewal of the licenses of advertisers that expired this Friday, 19th December 2014.

He urged members to contribute to redressing the lapses and insufficiencies in the advertising sector in the country indicating that sensitization should precede sanctions in their drive to revamp the sector.

At press time, the respective committees were meeting in session. According to the decree creating the council, the National Advertising Council is composed of a chairman, a representative from the Presidency, the Prime Ministers officers, Government Ministries, the media and the civil society.

National Advertising Council members have a three year mandate, renewable once. They are also expected to meet in session at least twice a year.