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KATHMANDU, July 1: The Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON) has decided to reject the Rs 10 million grant allocated to it by the government.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had earmarked the amount under the operational grant heading in the annual development budget for the fiscal year 2025/26.
SEJON President Sujan Oli said that the executive committee meeting held on Tuesday concluded, with reasons and justifications, that the grant could not be accepted.
Sejon Award, HBL-Sejon Fellowship distributed
SEJON clarified that it had never requested such a budget from the ministry and has never accepted any unconditional grant from the ministry to date.
The organization also emphasized its continued efforts along with its affiliated journalists, in holding the government and its agencies accountable for budget discipline and effective use of financial resources. Accepting such a grant, it stated, would go against SEJON’s institutional identity and legacy.
"At a time when the government is facing a financial crunch and needs to invest in citizens’ basic needs and life-saving services, a responsible umbrella organization of journalists using taxpayer funds would contradict our professional ethics and values," read the statement signed by President Oli.
The ministry had earlier decided to grant Rs 10 million each to associations of economic journalists.
