‘Next year, two districts of each province will be fully equipped with telecommunications’

Communication and Information Technology Minister Rekha Sharma has said that two districts of each province will be developed as complete telecommunications districts in the coming financial year.

Answering the questions raised by the members during the discussion of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology under the Appropriation Bill, 2080 in the National Assembly meeting on Thursday, she said that necessary infrastructure will be added to provide quality telecommunication services across the country.

She said that the ministry is moving forward to expand the service and improve the quality of telecommunication services in places where telecommunication services are not available, signals are low and there is demand. Minister Sharma informed that the program to expand quality telecommunication services on major highways has also been carried out with priority.

Informing that the Broadband Internet service, which was started with the aim of increasing access to information and communication, has reached all local level centers, she said that the goal of providing quality Internet service at the sub-ward level has been taken.

Mentioning that broadband internet connection has been completed in 4,390 health centers and 5,318 community secondary schools, she said that the work of expanding broadband internet to all community schools and health centers has been initiated through the Nepal Telecommunication Authority in the coming financial year.

Service providers have been encouraged to provide quality telecommunication services across the country using the latest technology. Nepal Telecommunication Company Limited has been given permission to test 5G. In the coming year, its services will be extended commercially’, Minister Sharma said.

Pointing out that minimizing the risk of cyber security with the increasing use of information technology is a challenge, she said that the ministry is committed to promoting digital literacy and bringing social media into the legal sphere to make it dignified and organized. She expressed her commitment that concrete steps will be taken to limit social media by formulating a law in the coming financial year.

Minister Sharma informed that the Digital Nepal Framework started in 2076 with the vision of Digital Nepal for good governance, development and prosperity has been implemented and said that the digital signature will be implemented in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and its agencies and will be extended to other ministries and agencies as well.

An electronic data security policy will be formulated to manage the security, storage and use of electronic data. Preparations to take the National Cyber ​​Security Policy to the Council of Ministers by integrating issues related to cyber security have reached the final stage, he said, by making the cyber security operation center which is currently operating 24 hours effective, cyber security response team will be formed and cyber risk forecasting and risk mitigation will be made more effective. .’

She informed that a wave monitoring system has been launched to reduce cyber security risks that may occur on the website.

She also informed that the government data center, which is currently operating 24 hours a day, will be upgraded and a disaster recovery center will be put into operation in Hetauda, ​​and the data center run by the private sector will be upgraded and regulated.

With the rapid development in communication and information technology, there has been a decrease in the traditional work done by the postal service, she said, while ensuring the continuity of the service, structures with less workload are being tried to maintain the effectiveness of service delivery and financial economy.

It is being tried to restructure the existing postal structure with the concept of ‘one municipality, one post office’. With this, the structure of postal service will be established and service will be provided according to the federal unit. In this way, during the restructuring of the service, the service of the additional post office employees who will be abolished will be highly appreciated and given honorable retirement with fair facilities, said Minister Sharma.

According to him, the postal savings bank, which was established in 2034 to provide banking facilities to people who want to deposit small amounts of money, has contracted with the expansion of banks and financial institutions that provide savings and loan services.

Also, since Postal Savings Bank has become less effective, the process of abolishing Postal Savings Bank has been started by transferring the account and savings amount of Postal Savings Bank to National Commercial Bank.

She informed that there is a program to build a Film City in Dolakha in public private partnership through the Film Development Board established with the aim of developing the film sector as a creative, cultural and entertainment industry and protecting the country’s language, art, culture through films and increasing recognition at the international level.

She said that the budget has been arranged to encourage and promote the production of historical films, documentaries and indigenous films related to people and events who struggle for the transformation of society.

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