Minister for Finance, and Communications and Information Technology Dr Yubraj Khatiwada has said procurement process of the printing press would be made transparent. Responding to the lawmakers’ queries in the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting today on Appropriation Bill 2077, said that budget has been allocated for the building construction and infrastructure development of the printing press adding that country’s own security press was realized for long.

Along with the building construction for the printing press, the procurement process for the same would begin in the upcoming fiscal year and that would be made transparent and internally competitive bidding. He also added that the government would purchase the printing press on its own resources, not loan assistance or development partners’ support.

Likewise, Dr Khatiwada said that the government was serious to extend the telecommunications service in the remote district. Asked about poor telecommunications services in Darchula, Mugu, Gorkha and Humla districts, the Communications Minister said that the government was advanced programmes for the construction and maintenance of the telephone towers in those areas. He also pledged to ensure the telecommunications service in the border out posts (BOPs) soon.

Meanwhile, Dr Khatiwada said that the government was serious towards the security of journalists and stated that the government has provided needed health materials to the journalists to avert any sort of infection to the frontline journalists. On the occasion, Minister Dr Khatiwada said that the two per cent of tax on Radio and TV was reduced to one.