Kathmandu. Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung has said that the coming decade will be promoted as the decade of information technology. Responding to the queries raised by the lawmakers on the allocated heading related to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology under the Appropriation Bill, 2082 in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Minister Gurung mentioned that the program has been formulated to make maximum use of the latest technologies developed in the field of information technology.{
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‘The government’s goal is to attract the private sector in the field of information technology and develop it as an exportable industry, create employment and self-employment opportunities, and make maximum use of information technology in public service delivery,’ he said.{
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Minister Gurung also mentioned that the government is fully committed to freedom of thought and expression and freedom of the press. He said that the ministry has a long-term vision of achieving economic and social transformation and economic prosperity through information technology. Stating that Rs 7.71 billion 9.99 billion has been allocated for the ministry and its subordinate bodies in the budget for the fiscal year 2082/83, he said that 75 percent of the budget is the amount of mandatory current liabilities. {
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‘The ministry is committed to promoting good governance and e-governance and adhering to ethics. To achieve the targets of the specified indicators, the ministry will prepare an integrated action plan for annual programs and implement it from Shrawan 2082, and regular review and monitoring and evaluation will be carried out,’ he said. Minister Gurung also mentioned that the repeal and amendment of old acts will be implemented with priority. He informed that work including the expansion of BTS and FTTH has been taken forward as per the need to provide quality telecommunication services across the country. {
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} Minister Gurung said that the ministry will amend the Advertising Act and Regulations in the coming fiscal year to regulate issues including media advertising, language and presentation, regularly organize the advertising market, promote a business environment and coordinate with the provincial government, local levels and relevant parties to ensure the rights and interests of the general consumer. He said that 280 million rupees have been allocated for public welfare advertisements in the upcoming fiscal year. {
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In order to make the distribution and expenditure process of grants and financial assistance provided by the government from time to time transparent to support the development of journalists and organizations related to the journalism sector, Minister Gurung also clarified that the ministry is distributing and monitoring grants to organizations related to journalism in accordance with the Procedure for Distribution of Grants and Financial Assistance, 2080. {
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Stating that in order to establish access to mass media for all citizens, Gorkhapatra has been publishing and broadcasting 45 programs, Public Broadcasting Radio Nepal 25, Nepal Television in 14 languages, and the National News Committee in three mother tongues, he informed that news materials will be published and broadcast in additional languages in the upcoming fiscal year. {
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Minister Gurung said that social transformation He said that 92 years of Gorkhapatra daily materials have been digitally archived to preserve the old materials that carry history for future generations. He also said that 55,431 audio materials of Radio Nepal have also been archived. He mentioned that digital archiving will be continued in the coming year as well. He said that from next year, a disaster early warning system has been set up through Radio Nepal and a disaster early warning system through SMS through telecommunication service providers to minimize the damage caused by natural disasters. {
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} Similarly, Minister Gurung also mentioned that the monitoring by the Press Council Nepal will be made effective to increase the credibility of the journalism sector by providing fact-based and official information materials to various media outlets. ‘The work of archiving and listing the social network YouTube for systematic operation, regular monitoring, and orientation on the journalist code of conduct is being done by the Press Council Nepal,’ he said. He said that the National News Committee service has been made available 24 hours a day and through this, the media and the general public have received timely and factual news. {
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Minister Gurung informed that the policy on artificial intelligence (AI) is in the approval stage to utilize the latest technology developed in the information technology sector and that an AIA center will be established in the coming fiscal year for the use, promotion and regulation of AIA. He informed that broadband internet service has currently reached 6,566 ward centers of various local levels, work is underway to extend it to all wards in the coming fiscal year, and broadband internet has been connected to 4,272 health centers and 5,341 community secondary schools. He also mentioned that broadband internet would be expanded to more community schools and health centers in the coming fiscal year, and infrastructure would be built to enable online teaching and learning in schools. He said that the bill to make provisions regarding information technology and cyber security had been registered in the federal parliament, and that the National Cyber Security Center had been established with the objective of identifying, preventing, and responding to cyber attacks and creating a resilient cyber space. Minister Gurung also mentioned that the Digital Nepal Framework will be revised and implemented, and a system has been developed to link most of the services to the Citizen App to facilitate citizens’ access to government and public services and increase the efficiency of services. {
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‘An integrated website management system for all government bodies has been implemented, and a web regulation system has been adopted to minimize possible cyber security risks on websites,’ he said. ‘All federal ministries and all ministries of Lumbini Province have been linked to the integrated office management system for effective service delivery by making public service delivery fast, simple, easy and transparent.’ {
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He also informed that a one-local-one-smart-postal program will be implemented from the next fiscal year and that construction of a state-of-the-art technology-equipped photography studio has begun in Banepa, Kavrepalanchok. “Nepali filmmakers will be encouraged to adopt the latest technologies and best practices in the international film market. Security printing infrastructure is being built to ensure that sensitive prints can be printed within the country in accordance with the Security Printing Act, 2081,” Minister Gurung said.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्