Working journalist to now get minimum salary of Rs 19,500

Kathmandu / March 18: The government has been preparing to fix minimum salary of a working journalist at Rs 19,500 effective from coming April 13.

Minister for Information and Communications, Sherdhan Rai, has said that proposal of the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee of making minimum salary of journalist as Rs 19,500 and Rs 1,000 as communication expense is to be endorsed by the cabinet in order to implement it from April 13.

At a programme organised by the Committee here Friday, Minister Rai said that the process of categorizing media houses and determining a journalist’s criteria would also be forwarded. Suggesting to keep the alternative open for merging media houses as per the need, he stressed the need of stopping the trend of opening large number of media houses.

Similarly, Communications Secretary Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya urged the bodies concerned to submit any suggestion, advice regarding revision of the wage of the working journalist within March 30.

Coordinator of the Information and Communications High-Level Suggestion Committee formed by the government, Kashiraj Dahal, expressed the view that the government and bodies concerned should be serious for the implementation of Working Journalists Act.

Presenting a working paper regarding service and privileges enjoyed by a working journalist, Chairman of the Minimum Wages Fixation Committee, Poshan KC, said that the committee recommended to increase minimum salary of working journalist from Rs 10,008 to Rs. 19,500. RSS