Govt committed to making journalism sector professional: Minister Sharma

Kathmandu / Feb 19: Communication and Information, Technology Minister Rekha Sharma has said that the government is committed to developing the journalism sector and making it professional by protecting full press freedom.

Addressing the 63rd anniversary of Rastriya Samachar Samiti Minister Sharma said that the government is committed to protecting press freedom as per the constitution’s provision.

She informed that the government is committed and active in making the journalism sector more developed, professional and prosperous.

According to RSS, Minister Sharma has said that the formulation of media-related laws is a priority of the present government.

She said that prevailing laws would be amended and new laws would be formulated as per the spirit of federalism.

“The government is working to carry out reforms by amending and drafting new laws as per the norms and spirit of federalism in cooperation with all the stakeholders related to the media,” she said.

Minister Sharma also said that the Mass Media Reforms Advisory Committee has been formed to provide policy and legal recommendations for the restructuring of the mass media sector and the Nepal Media Council Bill and the Mass Media Bill have been prepared based on the report of the committee.

Stating that the government is serious about making the journalism and communications sector competitive, professional and accountable, Minister Sharma said it is necessary for the media to now play an important role in the transformation of people’s living standards while helping preserve political achievements.

Minister Sharma also claimed that the government is trying to bring the nation together in transforming people’s lives with a focus on good governance, social justice and prosperity. She shared the determination of the government to support investigations into corruption scams including fake Bhutanese refugees, the Lalita Niwas case and gold smuggling.

On the occasion, she said that RSS should be able to compete with other news agencies of the world not only within the country but also internationally by emphasizing the production of quality content. For this required support and facilitation will be provided by the ministry, she added.

“I want to assure of necessary support from the government in the management of the training as well as the necessary resources to make RSS more reliable and effective, with a priority to the audio-visual news service”, she said, “I urge RSS family to make a special effort to increase their professional competencies and become self-sufficient.”