Govt.’s Policies and Programmes: Next decade will be ‘IT Decade’

Kathmandu: The government is to forward next decade as the ‘Information Technology Decade’ to achieve socio-economic transformation and prosperity taking information technology as the basis of digital transformation.

Presenting the government’s policies and programmes of the coming fiscal year in the joint session of the federal parliament today, President Paudel underlined that Nepal would be developed as global information technology hub encouraging to develop IT industry as the major sector of employment and service export.

At least 5,000 employments would be created by running IT work station at appropriate places in the Kathmandu Valley and each province, reads the policies and programmes. Similarly, a legal and institutional arrangement would be made for the safe and effective use of communications and information technology and system as well as the government has a plan to revise digital Nepal framework. “Internet and data exchange platform will be prepared to maintain inter-affiliation among electronic systems”, says President Paudel. The government has a plan of brining citizen service centre into operation with collaboration of local levels to provide all public services from one place.

The policies and programmes mention that broadband service would be made of quality, accessible and safe by expanding broadband internet as well as high-capacity optical fiber expansion activity would be accelerated to provide high-speed internet service as well as satellite-based internet service would be launched at remote and rural areas. Institutional arrangements would be made to enhance the effectiveness of research, response and public awareness on cyber security related works. The government has the plan of increasing the access of women, minorities and backward classes, regions and communities to information technology by expanding the digital literacy.

The policies and programmes mentions that the task of putting Nepal’s own satellite on orbit would be moved ahead and the standard for the construction and operation of the Data Centre would be developed. The government also has a plan of moving ahead the process for establishing the Information Technology Knowledge Park. It is mentioned in the policy and programme document that information technology systems used by public bodies will be determined and made safe and reliable while technical testing of information technology systems used in public bodies, including hardware, software, network, cyber security, etc would be carried out.

The government is going to adopt a policy of building systems and software used in public bodies from the government sector and giving preference to domestically developed software. The government plans to arrange state-of-the-art, high-quality and competitive printing for security printing such as excise stickers, postage stamps, driving licenses, passports and to restructure the postal service and make it fast, efficient and information technology-friendly and link it with e-commerce. “Policy, legal and structural reforms will be made for the professional development of the mass media sector. The use of social media will be made dignified and managed. A media literacy campaign will be conducted. Rural journalism based on mother tongue will be promoted,” he said.

A policy will be taken to build and operate Media Village in all provinces. In collaboration with Lumbini Province, preparatory work will be started for the establishment of Krishnasen Media Village in Dang. It is mentioned in the policies and programmes that television and FM, and internet service providers will be encouraged to merge, transfer ownership rights and be transferred.

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