KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has asserted that the current government is vigorously working to establish policy and structural frameworks for the advancement of information technology (IT).
Speaking at the Digital Nepal Conclave 2024 organized by ICT Foundation Nepal today, Minister Sharma assured that significant progress was being made in formulating ICT-related bills and developing physical infrastructure.
Highlighting the government’s declaration of the upcoming decade as the “Information Technology Decade” in the new fiscal year 2024/25 budget, she revealed the government’s aim to directly generate at least 500,000 jobs and indirectly create a million jobs through the operation of IT workstations nationwide.
Acknowledging legal obstacles hindering the development of the IT sector, the Minister disclosed that the government was contemplating legal and policy-level reforms to address them.
“For the first time in the country, we have established a Cyber Security Centre and endorsed an IT Policy. Efforts are underway to expedite the IT Bill,” Minister Sharma, also the Government Spokesperson, stated.
Furthermore, she elaborated that the newly introduced policies, programs, and budgetary allocations included IT-related issues following consultations with the private sector, emphasizing that collaboration with the private sector was crucial in achieving IT-related goals.
The Minister stressed the importance of cooperation between the government and the private sector in achieving the objectives of the Information Technology Decade.
Highlighting IT as the foundation for economic prosperity, the Communications Minister underscored the government’s commitment to increasing investment in this sector.
She emphasized that optimizing IT had contributed to maintaining good governance and prosperity, noting that Nepal Telecommunications Company had expanded high-speed internet to 76 districts across the country.
High-speed internet has been installed and expanded in all districts except Mugu, according to the Minister.
“The government is dedicated to improving the living standards of the general populace and achieving socio-economic prosperity through the implementation of the Digital Nepal Framework,” the Minister reaffirmed.
The one-day event, attended by over 600 participants, both national and international, including ICT experts, government representatives, entrepreneurs, and academics, among others, will discuss various aspects of digital capability for digitizing Nepal.
Moreover, thematic experts will provide recommendations to relevant government bodies to outline a strategic roadmap for further digitizing Nepal.
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