ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review 25 per cent quota of advertisements for regional newspapers, considered a source of malpractice, official sources told Business Recorder.

The Cabinet gave these directions in its meeting held on November 3, 2020 with Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in the chair.

The sources said Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz informed the Cabinet that media dues of the Ministries/Divisions were again piling up.

It was pointed out that apart from the prominent national dailies, advertisements were also given to the regional newspapers who were guilty of inflating the bills and were sources of malpractices.

Minister for Information & Broadcasting noted that as per the existing policy there was 25% quota for the regional newspapers. The Prime Minister was of the view that in the interest of austerity the policy of 25% quota for regional newspapers needs to be reexamined.

A few months ago, the government had cleared some of the dues of media, after the former SAPM Lt. General Asim Saleem Bajwa (retired) raised this issue a couple of times in the Federal Cabinet.

Subsequently, Secretary Cabinet Division, Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera wrote letters to all the Ministries/ Division directing them to clear the dues of media forthwith. Now, the government has also done away with the role of adv agencies with respect to submission of bills.

On November 3, 2020, the Cabinet directed all Ministries/ Divisions to clear their outstanding media dues at the earliest. The Information & Broadcasting Division was further directed to stop entertaining the advertisement requests of Ministries/Divisions, which did not clear their outstanding dues within 90 days.

In compliance with the austerity measures of the government, the Information & Broadcasting Division was also directed to review/re-examine the policy of allocating 25% quota for regional newspapers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020