Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Karaga constituency in the Northern Region, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has urged Media owners to pay journalists well.
He said this will ensure that journalists remain professional and independent in the discharge of their duties.
While accepting that the country’s economic situation remains challenging, Dr Amin Adam assured that the economy has seen some tremendous recovery.
“Knowing the kind of sacrifices you do in the discharge of your duties, we don’t reward you enough. I have interacted with a number of you and some of the proprietors of radio and TV stations as well as the newspapers and I’m mostly shocked about the conditions of service in which you work.”
“This is why I’m worried that in spite of the role you play to carry the messages of the people to government and also inform citizens about government policies and programmes, you continue to live in conditions that are not palatable for the role that you play.”
Speaking as the Guest Speaker st the Northern Regional Ghana Journalists Association Awards ceremony held on September 14 in Tamale, he urged the media owners to pay journalists well
“I want to use this opportunity to call the proprietors of our media institutions to take steps to reward you appropriately for the great job you are doing and for the service you providing for our society.“
On the economy, the Minister underscored the achievements of government despite the economic situation it finds itself.
“In 2016, we spent almost a billion cedis on National Health Programme, last year we did 3 billion cedis and this year we spending 6.5 billion cedis under health insurance scheme. So in-spite of the economic challenges we face, we continue to invest in social interventions that keep our society above poverty.“
He called on journalists to use their platforms in a professional manner to sustain the peace of the country before, during and after the 2024 general elections.
Dr Amin Adam also pledged a 500,000 cedis schorlarship scheme for journalists in the Northern Region to pursue higher education.
