Kathmandu, August 3

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stressed the need to promote information and communication technology (ICT) sector for Nepal to achieve competitive growth.

Addressing the Digital Nepal Conference, organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) here today, Oli said it is only through the optimum use of latest technological innovation that Nepal can achieve economic and

development transformation.

“This is the day and age of technology and digitalisation. If we fail to make optimum use of ICT, we will lag behind in terms of development in the global market,” PM Oli reiterated.

Citing that the government has already introduced various plans to digitise public services by increasing the use of ICT in every sector, including health and education, PM Oli said that the conference should not only focus on capacity building of people but should also come up with concrete recommendations and suggestions for the government for the development of ICT industry.

Moreover, PM Oli said that the government and private sector should work together to increase people’s access to ICT and expand its use in all sectors.

Minister for Information and Communications Gokul Baskota said that the private sector should focus on increasing the use of technology in education, health and tourism industry like in India and China. “India and China have made tremendous progress in the sector. Nepal should learn different strategies for ICT growth adopted in these nations and take benefit from the technological advancement taking place in these countries.”

On the occasion, Mahendra Man Gurung, secretary at MoIC, said distribution of the national identity cards will be a major milestone in the process of digitalisation of the country.

Meanwhile, Aroop Zutshi, global president of Frost and Sullivan — the co-organiser of the event — stressed on the need to digitise industries that have been operating in a traditional manner in Nepal in a bid to foster higher economic growth.