POKHARA: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota, has said financial strengthening of media should be the only goal from now onward.
Speaking at a program on ‘Working Journalist Act: Situation and Challenges’ organized by the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee and Kaski Chapter of FNF in Pokhara on Friday, Minister Banskota said the proportional advertisement policy was brought to make media financially strong.
Saying that Advertisement Act, Media Council Bill, Mass Media Act, and Information Technology Act were forwarded to make media more effective and systematic, he urged the media to support the good activities of the government. The Communications Minister shared the information that the amount of a fund established for the welfare of journalists was raised to Rs 80 million from Rs 50 million, clarifying that the government was committed to the development of journalism.
He further said that efforts were made to establish regulations, norms and values. Press freedom won’t be tampered, he assured. Saying the incumbent Minimum Wages Fixing Committee would be the last committee, Minister Banskota said that the government has played effective role for the implementation of minimum wages. Freedom of press was established in the history of Nepal, Minister Banskota said, arguing that the need of the hour was to protect and promote the press.
According to him, at the time when the world was entering an age of internet revolution, the Information Technology Act was going to be introduced in Nepal to address the challenges emanating from the abuse of internet.
Furthermore, the Minister clarified that the new Act was going to clearly define the social networking sites that were used in personal level such as Facebook, Twitter rather than the mass media.
He claimed that the incumbent government had undertaken initiatives that had ensured stability in the communication sector. The Minister also mentioned the preparation to categorize the online media.
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