PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has instructed senior government officials to be mindful of their duty of informing the public on departmental activities via cooperating with media organs.

He  made the remarks when meeting members of the media fraternity to mark World Press Freedom Day in the capital yesterday, asking them to ensure they remove all barriers that hinder journalists from performing their duties.

Heads of government institutions need to remove bureaucracy on media quests to obtain information for delivery to the general public, he said, affirming that facilitating availability of information that is essential to the public is part of the responsibilities of senior civil servants.

He stressed the safety of journalists when executing their tasks as a matter of paramount importance, in which case the government acknowledges the need for ensuring that journalists perform their duties in a safe environment.

“No journalist will face threats when implementing his or her duties,” he said, urging officers responsible for coordinating trips of top officials to ensure that journalists have reliable transportation and are comfortable when carrying out their duties.

He urged the media to properly use opportunity within their reach as well as influence to educate society on the importance of environmental protection, given the wide ranging effects of climate change globally.

“We have the responsibility to educate the public about environmental conservation,” he said, pointing at the numerous news outlets, asserting that most of them do not write information about the environment. “So through your discussions you have to see how environmental information is given the importance it deserves,” he emphasised.

Studies show that about 16 million people in the country who live by the sea depend on marine resources, he said, expressing worries that if the environment is extensively damaged their gainful activities will be jeopardised.

Kenneth Simbaya, the Union of Tanzanian Journalists’ Clubs (UTPC) director, said that in this year’s event, the union addressed various issues, including journalists' adherence to ethics.

Journalists should report to the relevant agencies whenever they come across actions that threaten their safety when carrying out their duties so that action can be taken, he added.