Stakeholders stress for open government data policy

Published On: March 24, 2018 01:39 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, March 23: Government officials, stakeholders and civil society members as well as representatives of development agencies have stressed on the need of open government data policy and work plan in federal Nepal.

Different stakeholders during a group discussion at the national workshop on the 'Right to Information and Open Government Data in Federal Nepal' concluded that the government data should be made public.

Representatives from National Information Commission, Office of the Prime Minister, Central Bureau of Statistics, donor agencies and civil society organizations and private institutions said that the government should invest in infrastructure development and also introduce data literacy in the curriculum of schools and colleges.

Addressing the workshop Chief Commissioner of National Information Commission Krishna Hari Baskota said that the commission has already submitted draft for open government data to the government for implementation.

Information Officer at the Prime Minister's Office Chirinjibi Paudel said that legal framework for the open government data has been formulating at the federal, provincial and local level from the government.

Addressing the workshop, Tirza Theunissen of The Asia Foundation said promoting rights to information and open government data at all tiers of government is crucial for transparency and accountability.

Freedom Forum and The Asia Foundation jointly organized the workshop aimed to increase participants' understanding of the implications of Nepal's federal structure on the right to information and open government data.

Participants said that following the adoption of the new constitution and the successful completion of the three-tier elections, access to accurate data in open format is crucial for citizens, media, and civil society organizations to track local development progress and to support provincial and local governments in making evidence-based decisions on planning and resource allocations.