Tender notices’ advertisements restored under previous policy

LAHORE:The IPL (Tender Notices) advertisements to the Punjab newspapers have been restored under the previous policy.

The announcement was made by Syed Tahir Raza Hamdani, Secretary Information and Culture Punjab, during the meeting of APNS Punjab Committee. The decision will be fully implemented in the next few days.Ghulam Saghir Shahid, Director General Public Relations Punjab and Shafqat Abbas, Director PID Lahore, were also present in the meeting. Senator Syed Sarmad Ali, President APNS, attended the meeting through video link.

The information secretary said, “We are trying to solve the problem of newspaper industry by advocating for you before the government”. The delay in issuing IPL advertisements was due to some legal points, he said.

“Now there was no legal obstacle in issuing tender notices to newspapers under the previous policy”, he added. Information secretary acknowledged importance of regional newspapers, saying the provincial government’s advertising agencies did not give any importance to regional newspapers. He said regional newspapers should improve their pages in line with modern trends in competition with national newspapers. While withdrawing the decision to stop advertisements after the death of a newspaper publisher until inheritance of declaration, DGPR Ghulam Saghir Shahid announced immediate restoration of advertisements of Daily Rahbar Faisalabad. He said in the case of death of a publisher, the heirs would only have to submit an affidavit they would inform Information Department by completing legal steps for appointment of a new publisher within the fixed period.

He said the DGPR team, under the leadership of Provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari, had increased advertising budget from Rs2 billion to Rs7 billion in a short period of eight months. “Efforts are being made to increase this budget further during the next financial year”, he informed.

He said advertisements were being issued to regional newspapers as per fixed 25 percent quota, Ninety percent of advertisements issued since March 1, 2024 had been paid till now, he added.

He said, “Show cause notices have been issued to advertising agencies that are causing delay in payments. They are being asked to make payments within one month”. Director PID Shafqat Abbas apprised the participants of performance of his department. “We are implementing such an online system due to which advertising agencies will be asked to submit advertisement bills on time. APNS is also being kept informed according to this procedure”, he said.

A WhatsApp group has been formed for effective coordination between newspaper owners, advertising agencies and PID to speed up payment process and to remove obstacles. An effective and easy method of sending bills, payments and distributing advertisements to newspapers in remote areas, including Balochistan, was adopted.

A dashboard is under consideration that will keep media institutions informed about the stage at which and in what time their bills will be paid.During the meeting, Jamil Athar Qazi, Chairman APNS Punjab Committee, Senior Members, Chief Editor of Daily Pakistan Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Chief Editor of Daily Khabarain Imtinan Shahid, paid tribute to the team of Information Department Punjab, PID Lahore. They said the advertising policy of Punjab government, the current system of payments was unparalleled. “It has no precedent in the whole of Pakistan. Increase in advertising budget and unusually fast recovery system will certainly help put the newspaper industry on its feet”, they said.

Chairman Jamil Athar Qazi presided over the meeting of APNS Punjab Committee. The meeting started with recitation of Holy Quran by Usman Mujeeb Shami.Condolences were expressed on the death of Atiqur Rehman, publisher of Daily Tijarti Rahbar, and wife of Tanveer Shaukat, Editor of Daily Gharib Faisalabad.

Later, the problems faced by the newspapers of Punjab were considered and concern was expressed over continuous stoppage of IPL advertisements.The meeting considered despite all the government measures, newspaper industry continuied to face financial difficulties. “A two percent increase in advertising budget of development programme should be allocated in upcoming federal and provincial budgets in proportion to inflation”, the meeting demanded.

The participants of the meeting expressed concern over unnecessary details of income tax, bank accounts and sources of income being requested by Press Registrar from newspaper owners, who regularly paid income tax. They termed such steps illegal measures as against freedom of press.

The participants of the meeting also called CTD and intelligence agencies’ scrutiny during the stages of inheritance transfer of a newspaper’s declaration insulting and demanded its immediate cessation. Mohsin Mumtaz Sial, Chairman Recovery Committee, presented a detailed report on which participants of the meeting expressed confidence and satisfaction.