Guinea’s newly established press employers’ federation, FEPAP-GUI, has called on the government to increase financial support for private media organisations, proposing an annual subsidy of 15 billion Guinean francs (approximately US$1.72 million) from the 2027 national budget.
The federation presented its incoming leadership bureau to the Haute Autorité de la Communication (HAC) in Conakry on Friday, 30 October 2026. The meeting also provided an opportunity for FEPAP-GUI to outline the economic pressures facing media businesses and argue for their recognition as full economic actors.
FEPAP-GUI president Amadou Tham Camara identified several challenges affecting the sector, including tax and social security obligations, limited access to bank financing, weak advertising revenues and competition from international digital platforms. He argued that these pressures were undermining the financial sustainability of media companies and limiting their ability to operate and invest.
A central demand concerns the state subsidy allocated to private media, which Camara said has remained at 3 billion Guinean francs (approximately US$343,000) annually since 2009. The federation wants the allocation increased to 15 billion francs (approximately US$1.72 million) and included in the 2027 Initial Finance Law. The proposed increase would represent a fivefold rise in the annual allocation.
Representatives of the Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Guinée (CGE-GUI) attended the presentation, underlining the federation’s effort to position media organisations within the wider business community. CGE-GUI has subsequently welcomed FEPAP-GUI as a member, providing the media employers’ body with an additional institutional platform for engaging on business and economic policy.
HAC president Boubacar Yacine Diallo responded by emphasising the responsibilities of media professionals in improving the sector. He argued that efforts to clean up and strengthen the media environment could not succeed without the active involvement of journalists themselves.
Although the discussions took place before the audiovisual regulator, the demands presented were framed around the broader economics of private media rather than a specific radio or television policy. Private broadcasters are nevertheless among the organisations covered by the state subsidy and would be affected by any change to its funding.
The proposal comes as media companies face pressure to diversify revenue, manage operating costs and compete for advertising in an increasingly digital market. Whether the government adopts the requested allocation in the 2027 budget will be an important test of its approach to supporting private media sustainability.
