Punjab CM urged to implement media payment formula

ISLAMABAD: Media organisations have urged the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to implement the media payment formula of advertising dues as had been implemented by the federal government and other provincial governments.

In a joint statement, All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) said that under this mechanism, the federal as well as provincial governments make payment of their verified advertising bills directly to the relevant media and the agency commission/trade discount is paid directly to the advertising agencies on the basis of 85:15 formula. This entails 85% being paid to media and 15% to advertising agencies for the services rendered. The representative bodies of the media stated they are of the considered view that this system ensures timely and transparent disbursement of media and agency dues.

They stated that if the above agreed formula was withdrawn by the Punjab government, the media would be deprived of the timely payments of advertisements.

The APNS, PBA and CPNE have requested the Punjab government to take the media stakeholders on board before finalising the advertising policy.