>>>>>The decision aims to discourage outdoor advertisements and to divert the cost that would be incurred to the media sector, a press statement of the Ministry of Information and Communications said. "It is essential to discourage advertisers to prevent such ads and develop the trend of publishing and broadcasting ads in mainstream media,� the ministry said. �The impact on traffic and the environment has also been considered.<<<< TRANSLATION: Outdoor advertisements eat into mainstream media's profit. Banning them altogether, in the name of environment and all that, delivers the money straight into the pockets of big media. ******************************** >>>>>>The government has also decided to double subsidies being provided as advertisement to weekly newspapers, and also to those being published from outside Kathmandu Valley. <<<<<< Translation: Free money to the journalists and media houses at janata's expense. Note that this money, instead of supporting private sector media, could have gone into education, health and so on. ***************************************** >>>>>>"The government has also decided to exempt the tax on articles and other research write-ups in newspapers. �The tax amount imposed on awards, welfare fund and articles will be exempted now,� the statement said." <<<< Translation: Again, another stupid concession to the journalists' demand. Journalism is becoming a tax-exempt profession in Nepal. ****************** >>>>>The cabinet meeting also decided to provide Rs. 1.5 million immediately to Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) to set up a fund for welfare of violence-hit journalists. Rupees 100,000 will be provided to all proposed and undergoing constructions of district branch-offices of FNJ.<<<<<<< Translation: Again, more free money to the journalists. At this rate, what's next? Subsidised lunch and water bottle and one pair of clothes /year to every member of the FNJ because, well,they are the "fourth estate"? ******************* >>>>>The government has also made it obligatory for all media houses to make their audit report public every year. The media will not be allowed to use more than 40 percent of the total space for advertisement.<<<<< Translation: In return for all the favors doled out, the government controls the management decisions at the private newspapers. ************* QUESTION: With such a cosy relationship with the powers that be, is it any wonder that almost all our newspapers read like Gorkhapatra? oohi ashu