Minister Gurung: Govt aims at building digital public infrastructures

Kavre: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has said the government aims to build digital public infrastructure with an effective digital foundation under the Digital Nepal Framework.

Inaugurating the three-day Trans-Himalaya communications and social development conference organized at Kathmandu University (KU), Kavre on Wednesday, Minister Gurung said the government’s policy and programmes focus on digital public infrastructures to pave the way to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, 2030.

‘The present government has given priority to the establishment of an IT hub and a knowledge park at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, which, we believe, would serve as a foundational pillar to implement the IT decade,’ Minister Gurung said.

Also, the Spokesperson of the government, Minister Gurung said the legal and policy level hurdles would be cleared and the digital ecosystem developed in partnership with the private sector for the government to advance digital transformation.

He, however, said only collective efforts from all concerned would help realize it. Communications is the heart of modern governance, so IT would be leveraged that connect people to the system.

‘E-governance is transitioning us away from the traditional bureaucracy. The public services are being available quickly to citizen’s fingertips,’ the Minister informed, adding that present needs are an e-government master plan, expansion of the broadband network, optical fibre broadband network, and network rollout in rural areas.

Infrastructure development, digital literacy and cyber security are other equally important needs to realize the broader goal of digital Nepal. Also shared by the Minister were legal updates like a draft of the IT and Cyber Security Bill, formulation and enforcement of Cyber Security Policy, 2070 establishment of Cyber Security Centre and publication of Use and Practice of Artificial Intelligence.

On the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University, Prof Dr. Bhola Thapa, said Nepal was at a watershed moment that needed to translate challenges into opportunities.

On the occasion, foreign dignitaries such as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Electronic Science and Technology in China, a Professor at the University of Texas, a Professor of Xinhua University, a Professor at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Professor from Delhi University among others expressed their views.

In the conference to feature presentations of some 100 working papers, academicians and researchers from many countries including Nepal, China, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, and the USA are taking part.

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