NAFIJ awards journalists

 ‘Better strategy needed to create self-reliant economy’

 

Kathmandu, Sept. 28

Khem Raj Shrestha of Bizmandu won the Sharada Devi-Dhundiraj NAFIJ Economic Journalism Award while Bijaya Parajuli of Onlinekhabar and Anup Acharya of Taksar magazine won CBFIN-NAFIJ Banking Journalism Prize. The economic award comes with a purse of Rs. 100,000 and a certificate while the latter is the prize of Rs. 50,000 each to two journalists. The awards are given away to the best journalists of the year in the respective field.

Nepal Association of Financial Journalists (NAFIJ) has established the economic journalism award with the financial support of Rs. 1 million in a revolving fund from insurance expert, Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai, and banking award with the cash support from the Confederation of Banks and Financial Institutions (CBFIN).

Deputy Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank, Bam Bahadur Mishra, CBFIN President Pawan Kumar Golyan, Bhattarai and President of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Rajendra Malla awarded the winners with cheques, certificates etc at a programme organised in the Capital on Wednesday. Both the awards will be given to the best journalists/reports every year.

NAFIJ also released its annual journal ‘Arthachitra’ on the occasion. It focuses on self-reliant economy and contains articles and opinions from the experts from various sectors in the government and private sector.

On the occasion, Deputy Governor Mishra said that there is still a lot to be done to create a self-sustaining economy.

"There is a big gap in the trade deficit, we should pay attention to the items that can be self-sufficient and move ahead with a better plan and strategy,” he said while warning that the economy should not be destroyed in the name of self-sufficiency.

Mishra said that much can be expected from agriculture and tourism when talking about self-reliance.

While addressing the award ceremony, NCC president Malla announced that two awards will be given to journalists. Nepal Non-Life Insurance Association would manage resources and support in awarding journalists covering agriculture and insurance. He also announced that the amount of two prizes will be Ra. 50,000 each to two journalists. Malla has been elected to the post of the chairman of the association.

He demanded that the banking system should be made more convenient. He argued that the provision of unnecessary information seeking while making deposits has caused losses to the economy. "If it is found that a person has earned money through unfair means, the government will find out from the investigation, but general people have been hit more by this provision," he said.

Likewise, Golyan said that there should be an economic revolution to make the economy self-reliant and media should extend its support to the drive.

“There is a great need to encourage indigenous production and its use. Such awards helps the journalists in feeling the responsibility of the profession and help in the economic growth,” he said.

Another award trustee Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai said there is a need of in-depth economic journalism. “If a regulatory agency announces a new policy, media should just not only report about it but also interprets it and analyse its impacts and repercussions on the business and economy,” he maintained.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 29 September 2022.