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Kathmandu Tuesday October 02, 2001 Ashwin 16, 2058.
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‘Non-intervention fosters private
sector’
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Oct 1 – Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat
has said that the government’s policy of non-intervention in the private sector has
fostered the growth of the sector. The lesser the government intervention, the better
results it produces, he said.
Speaking at the third Annual General Convention of the
Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON), he said, "During the last decade,
after the restoration of the democracy, the Nepalese journalism has grown
incredibly." And it is because the government has not intervened into the press, he
added.
Dr Mahat further said, "A noticeable growth has been
observed not only in the field of journalism, but every other field where the government
intervention is less". The export of the country and the revenue collection have
increased by more than 10 times during the last 12 years, he added.
At a time when the entire world is dominated by economic
issues, the economic issues have not got enough coverage in the media in our country. He
also suggested to present the economic issues in simpler and non-technical form, targeting
the general readers.
However, the Finance Minister, as usual, expressed
dissatisfaction over the mismanagement and ineffective monitoring system of the
government.
Presenting a paper on "Role of Economic Journalists in
Economic Development of Nepal", Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Executive Director at Nepal
Rastra Bank, suggested economic journalists to focus mainly on governance.
He also said that economic journalists could play a vital
role in opinion building for good policies and programmes, which will, to a greater
extent, help in furthering the process of nation building.
Citing examples from different parts of the world, he also
cautioned the media not to be lured by unethical temptations to maintain transparency
among themselves. Stating that transparency is a crucial factor in the economic growth of
any nation, he urged the press to be vigilant and to point out the shortfalls.
Suraj Baidya, the fourth Vice President of the Federation of
Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), presenting a paper on Role of Economic
Journalists in Private Sector Development said that the economic journalist must point out
shortcomings and present measures to correct them. "They should reach to the root of
issues and report authentically," he said.
Suresh Acharya, President of the Federation of Nepalese
Journalist, presenting a paper Media Advancement and Future of Specialized Journalism in
Nepal, expressed satisfaction over the tremendous growth of specialized journalism over
the years. But, he showed dissatisfaction over the government’s role in the growth of
the media.
Representatives from various donor communities and INGOs and
government officials attended the programme. Gajendra Bista, President and Gopal Tiwari,
Secretary General of SEJON also spoke on the occasion.
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