By K.T.Rajasingham
Colombo, 20 September, (Asiantribune.com):
Sri Lanka President in a bid to lift the welfare of the country’s journalists and media workers, has decided to include a comprehensive pension scheme, as well as a housing scheme in the forthcoming budget proposals for the year 2012.
Minister For Mass Media & Information Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella disclosed that at the pre-budget discussions for the year 2012 of his Ministry with the Minister of Finance, incidentally the President of Sri Lanka, it has been proposed to launch a Pension scheme for journalist and a housing scheme for journalists and for all the media personnel.
Mass Media Minister revealed at the discussion this proposal has been agreed upon and it will be included in the 2012 budget and votes would be allocated for the implementation in the year 2012.
Minister Keheliya Rambukawella said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown a keen interest in the welfare of the journalists and the media workers and welcome the Ministry’s proposals.
He added at the pre-budget discussion, a 'Presidential Award Scheme' was also agreed upon and money has been allocated.
Presidential Award will be the highest honor that will be bestowed annually on journalists, writers, poets, novelists, short story writers, film artistes, TV and broadcasting personalities. To sum it up, it will be Presidential Awards for different individual talents and would be considered as the highest honor in the country.
Digitalizing Broadcast – TV, Radio
Minister said, “We are starting the digital TV and Radio broadcast system by the end of this year. It will take two years – 2014 to start the digital broadcast for the Northern and Western Provinces. Digitalization will be completed by 2016 and by then the whole island would go digital.
He said Ministry of Mass Media has decided not to renew the inoperative TV and Radio Licenses. That means those who have obtained the TV and Radio licenses and who have not made use of it for the last one year, then their licenses will not be renewed. It is important that TV and radio licenses have to be renewed annually.
Digitalizing the broadcast system including the overhauling of Rupavahini is slated to cost about US$ 80 to 100 million. It is only the Japanese, as well as the Europeans have done the digitalizing in the other parts of the world.
At present, the Ministry is preparing the tender documents to invite international tenders to digitalized the broadcast system.
- Asian Tribune -
