KATHMANDU: Minister for Information and Communications Mohan Bahadur Basnet has said that the media houses would be prodded to provide minimum wages to the working journalists.

Speaking in a programme organised to honour and felicitate to recently elected office bearers and members of the Federation of Nepali Journalists here Sunday, Minister Basnet added that the Ministry would support the media houses for the implementation of the minimum wages and the media houses also should cooperate for the same.

He added that the minimum wage fixation committee is monitoring whether minimum wages were implemented or not.

In another note, Minister Basnet assured for setting up the Mass Media Training Academy in the name of FNJ's first President and former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

Basnet, also the government's spokesperson, acknowledged the role of media in driving the country on the path to economic development.

Similarly, Minister of State for Information and Communications Tapta Bahadur Bista said media plays a great role in ensuring institutionalised development by strengthening democracy.

Also, newly appointed Chairperson of the FNJ Gobinda Acharya said the FNJ was committed to press freedom by creating atmosphere for the implementation of the minimum wages for working journalists, and their right to professional and physical security.