Kathmandu, November 17:

A training on ‘Public Information Services for the Poor’ aimed at helping Nepal enhance the role of e-government begins here today. “The six-day long training is organised by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and Colombo Plan Staff College in partnership with National Information Technology Centre (NITC), Nepal,” states a press release issued by the bank “E-government is increasingly proving to be an excellent means to improve efficiency and transparency in the public sector, states the release, adding that e-government can also enhance the quality of life as it can make public services highly inclusive. “Sharing of knowledge and experience will help Nepal to develop cost effective e-government. It is especially important as Nepal plans to establish rural tele-centres in 1,500 village development

committees (VDCs) by 2007.”

More than 30 representatives from various government agencies, non-government organisations (NGOs), tele-centres, and e-community centres are participating in the training.

The course includes review of public information services in Bangladesh, India, Japan,

Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka; a review of different business models of community information centres; information needs survey of the community people; a study visit to a successful community information centre and drafting of project proposals and business plans.

“At the end of the course, the participants are expected to be able to identify policies that can effectively promote public information services, develop business plans for sustainable public information services in rural areas, and draft project proposals for establishing community information centres, states the release. Dambar Bahadur Khadga, full time member, High Level Commission on Information Technology, Man-Gon Park, director general and chief executive officer, CPSC, Jeoung-Keun Lee, senior capacity building specialist, ADBI delivered remarks at the opening session. Sungsup Ra, senior country specialist, ADB Nepal Resident Mission made opening remarks on behalf of Sultan Hafeez Rahman, country director ADB, Nepal Resident Mission.