Government Offices Required to Verify Media Bills Before Paying for Advertisements

Government offices must now verify the original bills submitted by media outlets and the bill issued by the advertising agency when making payments for government advertisements published or broadcast through agencies.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued this instruction to all ministries and agencies on Monday, following a directive from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) sent a day earlier. The CIAA had asked the government to control irregularities in the handling of government advertisements.

There have been widespread complaints that officials demand large commissions while awarding government advertisements, and that such advertisements often go to media outlets based on personal connections and commission arrangements rather than merit. Stakeholders have also complained that despite heavy discounts provided by media outlets, the government does not benefit, and advertisements do not always reach the appropriate platforms.

After receiving complaints about these irregularities, the CIAA recommended corrective measures, prompting the Prime Minister’s Office to issue instructions to federal and provincial bodies.

The circular states: “If government advertisements are published or broadcast through an advertising agency, offices must make payments only on the basis of the media bill issued in the agency’s name and the agency’s own bill clearly stating its service charges.”

Due to growing competition, media outlets often offer steep discounts to advertisers. A study by the Advertising Board last year showed that media houses offered discounts ranging from 15 to 95 percent. However, the same study reported that the government did not receive equivalent discounts and that employees made deals for personal gain.

According to the study, the total amount of government advertisements before discounts stood at Rs 10.39 billion, while the amount after discounts was Rs 4.84 billion.