The Society of Economic Journalists Nepal (SEJON) has decided to decline a government grant of NPR 10 million allocated by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology under the Annual Development Program for Fiscal Year 2082/83.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, the SEJON executive committee concluded — with reasons and justifications — that the organization cannot accept the grant, according to SEJON President Sujan Oli.
SEJON clarified that it had neither requested such funding from the ministry nor previously accepted any unconditional grants from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The organization emphasized that accepting the grant would contradict its institutional independence and journalistic values.
The organization noted that its members have consistently held the government accountable on matters of budget discipline and efficient use of public financial resources. Accepting government funding, especially at a time when the country is facing resource constraints, would compromise SEJON’s legacy and professional principles.
“The government, which is already facing a financial crunch, should focus its limited resources on essential public services and protecting citizens’ lives,” reads a statement signed by President Oli. “It is against our professional ethics and institutional integrity to accept a budget drawn from taxpayers’ money, especially when there are more urgent citizen-centric needs.”
The ministry had reportedly planned to provide NPR 10 million each to various associations of economic journalists, including SEJON.
