Experts seek amendments in IT policy

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KATHMANDU, Sept. 27: The information technology (IT) policy-2057 needs to be reformed in order to match with the development of the it sector in Nepal to the rapid change and development taking place in the sector at the global level.

The participants of an interaction programme on "IT Policy, Electronic Transaction and Digital Signature Bill (draft) and Issues on E-commerce, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and Voice-over Internet Protocol (VOIP)" organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the IT Professional Forum (ITPF) expressed these views here Thursday.

They pointed out that foreign investors have not shown interest in investing in the IT sector due to the lack of effective regulations along with cyber and bio-technology laws in Nepal, as a result of which the country has not progressed.

The participants also underlined the need for the institutions and organisations conducting training on IT to produce skilled and efficient manpower in the sector. On the occasion, Minister of State for Science and Technology Bhakta Bahadur Balayar pointed out that governmental and non-governmental organisations should join hands and march ahead for the development of the it sector.

Noting that the development of the IT sector was vital for alleviation of poverty and resolving the country's unemployment problem, he underlined the need for extending IT services down to the rural level.

Secretary at the Ministry of Science and Technology Mahesh Man Shrestha said that a separate task force would be constituted to remove any shortcomings in the IT policy-2057 and to make it well-organised.

Executive director of the National Information Technology Centre Atmaram Ghimire informed the gathering that the tenth five-year plan envisages establishing IT centres in 1500 VDCs and sought the cooperation of the concerned bodies, ministry and department's cooperation in this regard.
President of ITPF Suresh Regmi underpinned the need of giving emphasis to the quality and standards of it education rather than on training huge number of youths.  He also complained about the hike in telephone tariff effected by the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation.

ITPF general secretary Jyoti Tandukar and secretary Rajesh Shakya also expressed their views at the programme.

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