Kathmandu: Information officers and spokespersons at government offices, who are responsible for providing the public with necessary information, are encountering significant challenges in accessing information themselves.

Despite various ministries and departments designating these officials and displaying their contact details on their websites, many spokespersons at federal offices report difficulties in obtaining timely information.

This issue was highlighted during a meeting at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on Wednesday. Spokespersons from federal ministries and constitutional commissions voiced their frustrations over delays in receiving information, which hampers their ability to inform the public effectively.

Gajendra Kumar Thakur, spokesperson at the Information Ministry, stated that the meeting resolved to urge relevant ministries and commissions to promptly share decisions and information with their spokespersons. The delay in relaying decisions often means that spokespersons learn about developments only after they are reported in the media, complicating their ability to disseminate accurate information.

About 35 spokespersons attended the meeting, sharing their problems and challenges. They called for easier access to information and proposed establishing uniform guidelines on which information should be disclosed and which should remain private.

The spokespersons emphasized the absence of clear work procedures or policies for their roles, leading to confusion between the duties of a spokesperson and an information officer. They suggested creating a permanent mechanism, possibly involving a shared social network or app, to facilitate better information sharing.

Additionally, the spokespersons recommended setting specific times during office hours when journalists can request information to streamline the process.