Minister Rai solicits suggestions on minimum wage for journalists

Kathmandu / March 31: Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai Thursday held consultations with the investors of big media house to solicit their views over the enforcement of proposed minimum wages for working journalists.

Minimum Wages Fixation Committee recently recommended Rs 19,500 as monthly minimum wage for a working journalist.

In the discussion arranged by the Media Society at the Ministry of Information and Communications Thursday, Minister Rai said the government would fix minimum remuneration for working journalists on the basis of the recommendation of the Committee and feedback of the bodies concerned and experts. He called on the media entrepreneurs to be positive towards the implementation of Working Journalists Act and minimum wages for journalists.

Media Society representatives informed the Information and Communications Minister that the minimum wage of Rs 19,500 recommended by the Committee seems to be difficult to enforce in the present situation.

Society Chair Pushkarlal Shrestha argued that the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee unilaterally recommended the wage for working journalists which would not be acceptable for them. Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communications Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said the issues relating to the minimum wages for working journalist will be settled through discussions with all the bodies concerned. RSS