Lekhnath, 28 Dec: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel has stated that the country has already moved forward on the path of elections and is heading toward prosperity, good governance, and development. He made these remarks while addressing an interaction and discussion program on emerging concepts for making mass media more professional, organized by the ministry in Pokhara on Sunday.
“The country has already entered the electoral process. There is no political party left that says it will not go to elections,” Minister Kharel said. “New parties are forming alliances, and the old parties have already plunged into the election race.” Also serving as the government’s spokesperson, Minister Kharel noted that intensive discussions have been held this week with political parties and Gen Z representatives to prepare for the elections.
He said that discussions between top leaders of major political parties and Prime Minister Sushila Karki have greatly helped create a favorable election environment. Expressing confidence, he stated that after the election on Falgun 21, the country would establish new standards and move toward good governance, prosperity, and a brighter future.
Minister Kharel pointed out that the media sector is currently facing a crisis and urged stakeholders to adopt measures to address it. Emphasizing that media content must be strong and in-depth, he stressed the need for innovation in presentation and the use of modern technology and equipment.
“I am aware of the crises, challenges, and opportunities in the media,” he said. “When there are around 15,000 media outlets in the country and one journalist runs three news portals, how can they survive?” He added that due to the lack of an investment-friendly environment, industries and businesses have not flourished, and when the overall economy is not functioning well, a crisis in the media sector is not surprising.
Referring to new media as the new mainstream, Minister Kharel said that traditional media must also embrace new technologies. “New media can no longer be ignored. Times have changed. We respect old media, but this is the era of new media,” he said. He clarified that new media would be given proper recognition through regulations, registration, and listing.
Chief Secretary of the Gandaki Province Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Danduraj Ghimire, stated that the provincial government is ready to cooperate with the media sector. “We have enacted a communications act, formulated regulations, and established a Press Registrar’s Office,” he said. “We are ready to collaborate with media that inform the public and remain accountable to the people.”
Ramesh Paudel, President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Gandaki, said that corporate and self-employment-based media outlets have collapsed and demanded the establishment of a media fund. He also urged the government to recognize media as an industry. “The government recognizes liquor production as an industry but not media. There are no concessions on electricity,” he said, calling for granting communication rights to provincial and local levels in accordance with the constitution.
The program, chaired by Ministry Secretary Radhika Aryal, also featured views from Kaski Chief District Officer Rudradevi Sharma and FNJ Kaski President Madhav Baral.
During the discussion, working papers will be presented on problems and solutions in mass communication by Uday Bahadur Ranamagar, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Communications; on the division of authority over media between provincial and federal governments by Gandaki Press Registrar Bimala Bhandari; and on media and advertising by Advertising Board Chairperson Laxman Humagain.
