KATHMANDU, June 18: Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) for expanding digital financial services across the country.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Subisu CAN ICT Conference in Kathmandu on Sunday, Digambar Jha, chairman of NTA, said that the MoU will be signed within a week. “The central bank initially was hesitant about expanding digital financial services. However, we have managed to convince them to some extent,” he said.

“Though digital platform one of the effective ways of expanding people's access to finance services, we are yet to understand the issue clearly. That is why it took us so much time to get approval,” Jha added.

As the country cannot prosper without developing information communication technology (ICT), the government has targeted to expand Internet service to all districts within a year, he said, adding that broadband connectivity has reached to more than 60 districts so far. “Within two years, all local units and government schools will have broadband connectivity,” he claimed.

Stating that the government has set a target of distributing computers to 1,500 public schools across the country as a pilot project of developing ICT, Jha requested Computer Associations of Nepal (CAN) Federation to help the government for achieving the target.

The two-day ICT event is being organized by CAN Federation and supported by Subisu Cable Net Pvt Ltd. The theme of the event is 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Smart Society.'

Delivering her keynote speech, Soniya Bashir Kabir, managing director of Microsoft Bangladesh, said that the government should introduce single click services to ensure access to responsible and personalized services, e-participation of public, empowerment of government employees, and optimization of government operations as well as make people aware of cybercrime and other several technology-friendly activities. “However, countries have their own needs. So the motive of developing smart society is to address needs of the public. ICT should be expanded by identifying the need of the public,” she said, adding that the government and public should contribute equally to make smart society.

Earlier, Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota, inaugurated the conference.

According to the organizers, the event will focus on developing smart society based on SDGs as well as discussions on IT services.

Photo: Republica

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) chairman Digambar Jha addresses the inaugural session of the Subisu CAN ICT Conference in Kathmandu on Sunday

 
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