KABUL (SW): The journalists covering an event at the Ministry of Finance on Thursday boycotted the coverage when the Minister declined to respond to their questions.
The Ministry of Finance invited journalist at 9 am to come and cover as officials were acknowledged for their role in ensuring an impressive revenue collection in the 2015. It however, turned soar when first the event was delayed and then Eklil Hakimi, the Minister of Finance declined to respond to the journalists’ queries.
Shafiq Mohammadi, a journalist covering the event told Salam Watandar that he and his colleagues had a number of questions to ask but the minister got away with it. “I wanted to ask some questions about rampant corruption going on in the Customs Department”, he noted.
Maroofa Zaki, another journalist said on the occasion that the event at the Ministry of Finance was merely symbolic and had more to do with the officials celebrating target achievement. “So, I wanted to ask some serious questions to get some facts out but we were not allowed”, she regretted.
Maroofa added that often the officials invite journalists too early and make them wait for hours.
Mujib Khalwatgar, Head of NAI-Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan, told Salam Watandar that the officials are bound to respect and respond to the questions posed to them by the journalists. He urged the authorities to probe why the Finance Minister declined to meet the press.
ENDS
