Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON) has decided not to accept a Rs 10 million grant announced by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
The executive committee of SEJON held on Tuesday and made the decision.
The ministry had earmarked Rs 10 million for SEJON for its operational expenses through the budget for fiscal year 2025/26. A similar Rs 10 million grant had also been allocated for the Female Economic Journalists Association (FEJA) and Nepal Association of Financial Journalists (NAFIJ).
These two associations, however, have not taken any decision regarding the grant.
SEJON decided to refuse the grant, stating that it had not requested any such budget from the ministry, nor had it accepted any unconditional grant from the ministry in the past.
Issuing a statement on Tuesday, SEJON said that since the organization and its affiliated journalists have consistently held the government and its agencies accountable regarding budget discipline and the effective use of financial resources, accepting such a grant would go against its own legacy and institutional integrity.
“The government is currently facing a shortage of financial resources and must prioritize large-scale investment in protecting lives and fulfilling basic needs of citizens,” it said in the statement. “To accept such a budget, diverting resources generated from taxes paid by the people, contradicts our professional ethics and values.”
