KATHMANDU: Minister for Information and Communications Dr Bikram Timilsina has stressed on the need for collaboration between the government and the private sector to make the advertising sector clean and transparent, and bring it fully within the regulatory framework.

During a discussion held with representatives of the Advertising Association of Nepal at the Ministry on Monday, he said that the government has given priority to the effective implementation of existing legislation to make the advertising sector systematic. “All sides should be responsible for preventing misuse of the advertising sector. Making it clean, healthy and transparent is everyone’s shared responsibility. The private sector should also play its role effectively to prevent wrong practices and misuse.”

Minister for Communications Dr Timilsina pointed out that there were irregularities in the government advertising distribution system in the past and informed that the current government has started the work of improving it.

He made it clear that the government has introduced the National Advertising Policy 2026 to move the sector forward with new energy and to make it systematic and profitable. “The government will take necessary steps to further strengthen the regulatory capacity of the Association.”

Stating that continuous coordination and collaboration between the government and the private sector is necessary, he mentioned that professionalism, compliance with the law and responsibility should be the foundation of the advertising sector.”The advertising market has also been affected due to the weaknesses of the media sector,” he said and added that the work of reforming the media sector will be carried out in a planned and phase-wise manner.

During the discussion, Association Chair Sudip Thapa said that the challenge is not because Nepal’s advertising market is small, but because there is insufficient investment. Healthy competition and long-term investment are necessary to expand the scope of the market.

Meanwhile, a Chinese delegation led by the founding chair of the Everest International Film Festival, Li Hongshu, called on Minister of Information and Communications Dr Bikram Timilsina at the ministry on Monday.

uring the meeting, discussions were held on expanding cooperation between Nepal and China in the fields of film, culture and tourism promotion.

On the occasion of the meeting, Minister of Communications Dr Timilsina expressed confidence that the International Film Festival would further strengthen the cultural relations between Nepal and China, while also expanding relations at the citizen level as well as play an important role in promoting tourism.

Leader of the Chinese delegation and founding chair of the Everest International Film Festival, Li Hongshu, said that Nepal is an excellent destination for film shooting due to its natural beauty and cultural diversity.

The Everest International Film Festival is a bilateral initiative launched with the objective of further strengthening film and cultural relations between Nepal and China.

On the occasion, Dinesh Raj Dahal, chair of the Film Development Board, said that the festival serves as an important platform to connect Nepali films with the Chinese market. According to him, the festival, organized in Changsha and Hengyang cities in Hunan province, China from April 14 to 19, 2026, was held on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the establishment of Nepal-China diplomatic relations.

During the festival, six Nepali films, including ‘Anjila’, ‘Chhakka Panja 5’, ‘Tel Visa’, ‘Mahajatra’, ‘Kabaddi 4’ and ‘Hostel 3’, were screened with Chinese subtitles in movie theaters in Changsha and Hengyang.