Ljubljana:Minister for Information and Communications, Dr. Bikram Timilsina, addressed the determination of public welfare advertisement rates for newspapers, emphasizing a scientific and procedural approach.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Dr. Timilsina explained that the rates were set based on existing rates, newspaper classification, the number of advertisements published, and audit reports from the Office of the Auditor General. The national-level ‘A’ category base rate for these advertisements is now Rs 35,200 per month, slightly adjusted from the previous Rs 35,219 to correct proportional discrepancies while maintaining a 20 percent ratio.
He also informed the House of Representatives that the provisions for equivalence in Section 41 of the Newspaper Distribution Verification Criteria, 2066 BS (Amended-2079), have been implemented. This ensures equivalence in rates for national, provincial, and local level newspapers according to their categories.