KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has clarified that the newly unveiled budget will not cause conflict among the coalition partners.
At a press meet organized by the Press Centre in Dhangadi city today, Minister Sharma assured that efforts are being made to address weaknesses and grievances related to the Rs 1.86 trillion budget.
Calling the new budget “balanced,” Minister Sharma, who is also the government spokesperson, stated, “The budget is socialism-oriented and pays adequate attention to production.”
On a different note, the Minister ruled out the possibility of an alternative to the current coalition partners. She noted that while the incumbent government is a coalition of various parties, it will never function like a single-party government.
Minister Sharma further clarified that the ruling party, CPN (Maoist Centre), is considering collaborating with existing partners for an extended period of time.
Regarding disaster risk management, the Minister shared that an agreement has been made with Radio Nepal, private and community radio stations, and Nepal Telecommunications to notify communities at risk of natural disasters in advance.
“The incumbent government is sensitive towards disaster response efforts and is set to deal with disasters effectively,” she reaffirmed.
She also mentioned that the private sector is enthusiastic about the government’s decision to mark the upcoming decade as the Information Technology Decade (2024-2034).
Sharma opined that if the information technology sector is developed and managed well, it could attract billions of dollars to the country.
“The annual policies, programs, and budget, as well as the 16th periodic plan, include IT-related agendas. We are working towards developing and fostering the technology sector, aiming to transform Nepal into an IT hub,” she asserted.
Regarding legislation on mass media and the communications sector, she pledged to revise and update outdated laws.
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