The government is set to pay media houses and publishing firms Sh2.5 Billion owed in advertisement revenue.
According to the Information Principal Secretary Fatuma Hirsi, the process of paying media houses should begin in the course of the week.
This, however, comes only a few days after information Cabinet Secretary Joseph Mucheru had indicated that the payment wouldn’t be done due to lack of funds.
Mucheru had said that his counterpart in the Treasury Henry Rotich had not given his ministry the funds making it hard for them to pay.
Huge government advertisement debt accrued over time through the Government Advertising Agent (GAA) had seen media houses profits reduce.
The PS was speaking on the sidelines of a stakeholder’s forum in Nairobi, that drew ministry officials, media owners, broadcasters and policymakers in the industry, also defended the agency’s existence saying it has served its intended purpose – which is to reduce wastage by government agencies.
The news coming when the government is set to reduce its expenditure in an effort to reduce the budget deficit and manage the outgrowing public debt.
