Kathmandu, July 13: Arjun Ghimire has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), and Umesh Shrestha has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Press Council Nepal. They were appointed to the respective positions in accordance with the Cabinet decision of Ashadh 24.
The newly appointed chairpersons received their appointment letters today from Information and Communications Minister Dr. Bikram Timilsina. NTA Chairperson Ghimire also took their oath of office and secrecy today.
While handing over the appointment letters, Minister Timilsina congratulated the newly appointed heads of both institutions, who were selected through a competitive process, and directed them to deliver result-oriented performance. Mentioning that the recommendation committee had selected them based on the belief that they were capable of carrying out their responsibilities in a fair, impartial, and effective manner, the minister urged them to play a significant role as heads of regulatory bodies and undertake exemplary work in the field of information and communications.
He said the role of the Press Council would be crucial in making the communication sector more responsible, dignified, and effective. The minister pointed out that misinformation and disinformation have emerged as major challenges in the communication sector at present and stressed the need to identify and address them in a solution-oriented manner. He said that strengthening the communication sector would ultimately benefit the media fraternity the most and that positive intervention from the Council was necessary.
Mentioning that outdated laws were being amended in line with changing times, Minister Timilsina said discussions had already begun on the drafts of the Media Council Bill and the Mass Communications Bill. Stating that institutions lacking capacity cannot perform effectively, he stressed the need to further develop the Press Council as a more responsible, capable, and effective institution.
Referring to the challenges of leading two regulatory bodies during a difficult period, the minister advised the newly appointed officials to work within the limits of law and legal procedures while keeping citizens’ interests at the centre. He suggested that the telecommunications sector should move ahead with short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans focusing on public interest and service quality. He also assured that the ministry would always remain ready to provide necessary policy and institutional support in accordance with changing needs.
Newly appointed Press Council Chairperson Shrestha said that although the nature of media has undergone significant changes, the law governing the Press Council has become outdated and needs to be revised accordingly. He said his priority would be to ensure the effective implementation of the journalists’ code of conduct and further strengthen the system of self-regulation in journalism. Expressing his commitment to act as a bridge of trust between the government and the media sector, Chairperson Shrestha said the Council would remain active in protecting press freedom while promoting responsible journalism.
Similarly, newly appointed NTA Chairperson Arjun Ghimire expressed his commitment to addressing existing shortcomings in the telecommunications sector and focusing on resolving problems. He said he would work for the development of the telecommunications sector, expansion of services, and good governance while remaining within the framework of laws, regulations, and policies.
Chairperson Ghimire stated that he was committed to building a citizen-oriented, accountable, and effective telecommunications sector. He pledged to provide quality and user-friendly services through cooperation, coordination, and collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and other concerned stakeholders.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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