The government has decided to increase the minimum pay of working journalists by 25 percent. A Cabinet meeting on Sunday decided that all journalists and employees working in media houses would have their salary increased by 25 percent effective from October 18.

Currently, the minimum wage of working journalist is Rs 19,500 per month. 

The Cabinet also decided to appoint Krishna Murari Bhandari as the executive chairman of Gorkhapatra Corporation. Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota said Bhandari was succeeding Govinda Pokhrel whose resignation was approved on Sunday itself.

He added that the Cabinet meeting also decided to nominate Dr Ramchandra Bhattarai as the chairperson of the Board of Directors of Citizen’s Investment Fund.

The meeting also formed a seven member task force for the protection of consumers’ rights, sugar cane farmers, and sugar mill.

 The task force is led by a National Planning Commission member who looks after the agricultural sector. Its members include people representing various sectors as well as joint secretaries from the ministries of finance and industry.

Minister Banskota, who is also the spokesperson for the government, said that the Sunday’s Cabinet meeting also gave Finance Secretary Rajan Khanal the authority to accept Rs 11.63 billion loan from World Bank Groups for investment in energy sector.

The meeting also agreed to accept Rs 1.4 billion from Japan as an aid to upgrade of roads in Sindhuli.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali informed the Cabinet about Nepal’s participation in the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly and various bilateral meetings that they held with the leaders from various countries.