Media debt repayment eased, historical sites protected: MoICA

KABUL (Pajhwok): Relaxation of media debts repayment, protection of the historic items in the Mes Aynak mine, formation of a high council for the promotion of languages and finalization of the Journalists Support Fund were part of the last year’s achievements of the Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs, an official said on Wednesday.

The MoIC has also formed a high council for the promotion and enrichment of national languages of the country and finalized a draft for journalist’, support fund, the officials added.

The MoICA has also facilitated the issuance of online licenses for media and prevented the spread of books that “foment strife” in the community, finalized the drafts on books publication and activities of YouTube channels. The ministry introduced 19,300 students to universities to obtain free or discount-based education, issued 620 identification cards for reporters and collected 47m Afs of revenues from tourism.

Maulvi Hayatullah Mohajir Farahi, deputy head of the MoIC broadcasting, told reporters here that currently 370 media outlets operated across the country and the government issued 620 reporters ID cards.

Farahi said: “We try our best that all of the media outlets to operate normally, the media outlets that respect national, Islamic and traditional values of this country can operate without any problem. To further know and clarify the media outlets, the government has started issuing them online licenses for their operations.”

Referring to the media outlets that still have to pay their debts he said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), leadership has approved its payment through tax return in installments or to be completely waived off.

The IEA plans to print a million copies of the Holy Quran within the country in 18 different sizes, so far it succeeded to print 12 of the planned different sizes of the Holy book.

The MoIC has also succeeded to prevent the spread and publication of some books that “fomented strife” in the community and that were against Islamic and national values or insulted sacred things. The draft for the operation of YouTube channels was also finalized and after this all of the journalists would be dealt equally without any discrimination, Mohajir concluded.

MoICA Admin, Tourism and Finance Head Tourism Maulvi Qudratullah Jamal said 9,000 foreign and over one million domestic tourists visited the historic and recreational sites of the country which attracted more revenues for the government.

According to the government figures, the flow of these domestic and foreign tourists attracted 47,000,000 Afs of revenues to the treasury of the government. To provide such tourists standard accommodation and other services, the work over some hotels in Zazi Aryoub, Kapisa, Nuristan, Bamyan and Ghor province was ongoing.

Deputy Youth Affairs Minister Qari Mohammad Younus Rashid, said in order to increase the capabilities of the youths, 310 seminars and other gatherings were held across the country and nearly 44,000 others participated in educational contests about the history of the Prophet (Sirat-al-Nabi), general knowledge about the IEA and other relevant subjects. Additional to this, over 23,000 youth graduated from educational institutes of the MoIC.

The youth’s affairs department had so far inked bilateral memorandums with over a hundred private universities through which 1,581 of them found their way to free educations while 17,787 others got the chances to study at universities or other educational institutions with a significant discount fees.

Deputy Head of Arts and Culture Department Maulvi Atiqullah Azizi said in addition to the official languages of the country, the department formed a council to save the less spoken languages from extinction.

The officials of the MoIC had so far visited dozens of historic sites across the country and prevented attempts of smuggling or selling of dozens of ancient artifacts, they have also studied the situation of Jam Minaret in Ghor province and shared its report with media.

Some media outlets reported that there have been increased concerns about the Jam Minaret collapsing due to floods in that area.

Azizi concluded that the contract for the extraction of Mes Ainak copper mine was inked with Chinese MCC Company and the government, to extract the copper and secure the historic artifacts near the mine the government drafted a regulation in this regard.

Aw/nh