Rs9.6b ads released to media outlets
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information was told on Wednesday that the government released advertisements worth Rs 9.6 billion to the media during the last one-and-a-half year.
The committee meeting was presided over by Senator Fauzia Arshad.
The meeting saw participation from the Information Secretary and the Director-General of Radio Pakistan, who briefed the committee members about the financial challenges facing Radio Pakistan. They highlighted that pensions for retired Radio Pakistan employees for April to August had been disbursed. Still, the institution grappled with the “entire burden of government’s financial problems.”
Furthermore, it was disclosed during the meeting that discussions with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regarding the lease of Radio Pakistan land were ongoing, with an anticipated revenue of Rs 2 billion from this venture. The critical point of contention in these negotiations revolved around the lease rate, with Radio Pakistan pushing for commercial rates while the SBP advocated for an industrial rate.
In response, the committee recommended that the Radio Pakistan land be leased through a public auction. It was noted that 800 kanals of radio land in Lahore were being considered for a 20-year lease to the SBP, a move expected to generate Rs2 billion in revenue promptly.
The DG of Radio Pakistan also highlighted initiatives to boost the institution’s revenue, notably establishing a broadcast technology park in Islamabad, which had garnered interest from several companies.
Regarding government advertisements, the Information Secretary informed the committee that a significant sum of Rs9.6 billion had been disbursed to various media outlets in the past year and a half. This allocation was broken down into Rs3.5 billion for print media, Rs4.79 billion for electronic media, and Rs1.23 billion for digital media.
Senator Waqar Mehdi raised concerns about the criteria for awarding advertisements, suggesting that favoritism had influenced decisions during the tenures of both PTI and PML-N governments. In response, the committee requested detailed information on the rates of advertisements allocated to different channels over the preceding 18 months.
Source: The Express Tribune
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