Formulation of media-related laws a priority: Minister Sharma

Kathmandu: Minister of Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has said that formulation of media-related laws is a priority of the present government.

Speaking at a ceremony organized at the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) Central Office today on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of RSS, Minister Sharma, also the government spokesperson, said that prevailing laws will be amended and new laws will 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, Lalita Niwas case and gold smuggling.

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 on the production of quality content. For this required support and facilitation will be provided by the ministry, she added.

Likewise, the secretary of the ministry, Ramakrishna Subedi, said that RSS had been demonstrating high professionalism in news production and distribution.

On the occasion, Radio Nepal was honoured with the best subscriber of RSS. Radio Nepal’s Executive Director of Radio Nepal Buddhi Bahadur KC received the appreciation letter.