.Katema

By XAVIER MANCHISHI
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GOVERNMENT has raised over K1 million from the sale of holograms, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Joseph Katema has said.
Dr Katema said as of Friday last week, Government had raised K1,165, 000 from the sale of holograms, a security feature affixed on all genuine and original audio visual works to distinguish them from pirated ones.
He said piracy had continued to be one of the major challenges the country continued to face and that if not curtailed; the vice would deprive both Government and artistes of the much needed revenue.
“This scourge has continued to rob Government of the much needed revenue and the artistes of their hard-earned income. Government has since introduced the hologram,” Dr Katema said at a Press briefing.
The minister said the media must take interest in encouraging people to purchase genuine audio-visual works which have the security feature affixed on them.
He also called on radio and television stations to ensure that they paid artistes what was due to them when they used their works, saying that was the only way to sustain the industry.
At the same briefing, Dr Katema also announced that Government had embarked on an exercise to review the National Information and Media Policy in the country.

He said the ministry had so far collected views from eight provinces across the country with only Lusaka and Western provinces remaining to make submissions.
Dr Katema has since urged media institutions in the country to submit their views, adding that once the policy was adopted by Government, it would have a bearing on their operations.
“This document is meant for you, and, therefore, treat this matter seriously. This is important because the policy once adopted by Government will have a bearing on your operations. We don’t want you to start complaining in future that you were not consulted,” he said.
Dr Katema also said Government had seized pirated audio visual products worth more than K9 million throughout the country since January this year.