ICT & Poverty Reduction
INFORMATION and Communication Technology (ICT) has been a major driving force
for development and economic transformation in the world at present. Many countries have
pinned their hopes on information and communication technology for accelerated pace of
economic and social development. In fact, the revolution in the field of information and
communication sector has also brought about revolutionary changes and development in other
social and economic sectors as well. The information technology has made the entire planet
a small global village. Those countries, which have invested more on the ICT sector, have
been able to reap good results in the economic and social sector. From creating employment
opportunities to poverty reduction, ICT has played a catalyst role in the present day
world. In view of the growing importance of information communication technology, Nepal,
of late, has accorded due priority to the development of ICT. The ICT sector is slowly
growing in Nepal. The government has invested a lot in telecommunication sector. It has
now adopted the policy of encouraging private sector to invest in the communication field.
As a result, private sector’s participation has been slowly growing. In the Internet
business, it was the monopoly of the private sector until last year. In fact, it is the
private sector that introduced Internet in Nepal and started providing Internet service to
people and also the government. The government-owned Nepal Telecommunication Corporation
started providing Internet service only last year. This tells the fact that the private
sector has made significant contribution in the development of information technology in
Nepal. However, there has not been desirable progress in the field of information
technology in Nepal. Nepal is now facing the problems of mass poverty, unemployment and
backwardness. The government has been struggling hard to attack these social and economic
problems. ICT can play an important role in alleviating poverty and attacking other
problems of the country. Against this background, an interaction programme was held in
Kathmandu recently in which experts discussed the role of ICT in eradicating poverty in
the country. Despite the importance of ICT in development, the case of Nepal is very
unique. Only a small section of urban people have access to information communication
technology. Vast majority of the rural people do not have access to IT services. Moreover,
Nepal lacks the infrastructure for the development of ICT and for making it available to a
larger mass of the country. If ICT is to benefit the mass, measures need to be taken to
make ICT accessible and affordable for majority of the people, who are poor and are living
in the rural areas.
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