Minister Gurung urges local levels to channelise advertisements through official system

KATHMANDU: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has stated that local levels have lost significant revenue from advertisements displayed on hoarding boards.

He urged local authorities to integrate advertising through hoarding boards into their systems to secure these revenues.

Speaking at the 'Capacity Development Programme on the Roles of Advertising Agencies for Advertisement Promotion', organised by the Advertisement Board, the Minister stated, "Let us stop the practice of collecting revenues at the local levels through the contract system." He also recommended that local authorities collect revenues from advertisements displayed during local fairs and festivals. "It will be in the interests of the State to endorse the 'Model of Local Levels' Advertisement recommended by the Advertisement Board," he added.

Minister Gurung mentioned that the government plans to revise the Advertisement Act to regulate advertisements on social media platforms.

According to Gurung, the government spokesperson, submissions regarding the draft of National Advertisement Policy from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning Commission have been received and will soon be endorsed by the Council of Ministers.

The Minister pledged to further develop and expand the advertisement market by classifying and standardising media houses, as well as systematising and ensuring transparency in government advertisements. He acknowledged concerns over the decline in advertisements for mass media, which has negatively impacted media houses. To address this, he proposed revising the Advertisements Regulations, 2077 BS, to mitigate revenue losses in mass communications advertising.

The Minister also emphasised the transparency maintained by the Board in public welfare advertisements and committed to distributing such advertisements through an advertisement mechanism at the provincial and local levels.

During the two-day capacity enhancement programme, Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Radhika Aryal, stated that the Advertisement Act is undergoing amendments, with submissions from the Board expected soon.

Board Chair Laxman Humagain pointed out that the competition to place hoarding boards for advertisements has diminished the aesthetic appeal of cities, stressing the need for systematisation.

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