PM pledges 1 pc fund for startups in New FY

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 3: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has pledged to provision the setup of an innovation fund (startup fund) in the upcoming fiscal year's policy, programme and budget for the expansion of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

Addressing the 7th National ICT Day in the Capital on Thursday, PM Prachanda said that groundwork was being done for the formulation of necessary laws for the establishment of the startup fund. 

Prime Minister Prachanda on the occasion claimed that for the first time in the budget history of Nepal, the government would allocate 1 per cent of the total budget in startup business for the promotion and encouragement of innovative ideas and planning of the youth and to address brain drain problem of the country. 

"The government believes that economic and social transformation can be achieved only through the development, expansion and use of communication and information technology," PM Prachanda said, adding, the young scientists would be encouraged to earn income through information technology at their own capacity and access.    

He made it clear that the government was seriously working to integrate and effectively implement the 'Startup Programme' focusing on the youth.    

Prosperity could be achieved through development, good governance and employment only by accepting information technology as the 'leading factor', the Prime Minister said while appealing to all concerned for rapid development in the field of communication and information technology for economic and social transformation of the common people through it.

"The government is committed to making necessary policy and legal arrangements to ensure the development, expansion and safe use of information technology," he said. 

PM Prachanda said the incidents related to cybercrime, which were on the rise lately would be controlled through legal and policy measures.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that ICT had been becoming a basis for the daily lifestyle of every individual as the government had undertaken it as a basic need and national priority.

With the emergence and use of ICT, Nepal government has also been applying and adopting the necessity of the ICT in different public and governmental services, Minister Sharma said. The use of ICT has been applied in major public services like national ID card, passport, driving license, Nagarik App, taxation and other sectors, Minister Sharma said. 

Similarly, Minister Sharma said that the government had developed integrated website management system so that no single government office required to develop their own government and public portal as it could be developed and created without paying money to other institutions.

On the occasion, Minister Sharma informed that the government had recently taken DTH fiber net service to 75 districts of the country and expanded optical fiber service in more than 25,000 km of distance of the country.

Staying within the country, more than 100,000 youth, who are expert in ICT sectors are exporting their expertise and earning billions of rupees here in Nepal, said Minister Sharma.

Similarly, Secretary at the Ministry Ram Krishna Subedi said that ICT had become both a medium and basic need for every citizen today. Safe and secure use of cyber space by every individual has become today's most challenging job as its haphazard use has forced many users to get into traps. Digital literacy and its awareness have also become another necessity to be expedited by the government, Secretary Subedi said. 

On the occasion, Prime Minister Prachanda honoured various governmental and private sector ICT development partners and users with National ICT Award-2081. On the occasion, PM Prachanda honoured Nepal Telecom Company Limited as the highest tax payer in ICT sector among other companies this year. 

Similarly, Prime Minister Prachanda honoured Data Hub Pvt. Ltd with the ICT Award representing the private sector, Dynamic Techno Soft Limited with the ICT award representing provincial level, Munal Tech Pvt. Ltd. with Startup Award, Sprout Technology Service Pvt. Ltd. with the ICT Award for earning highest amount of foreign currency.

On the occasion, Minister Sharma also honoured some private sector ICT institutions with certificates for showcasing their services, products and technologies at an exhibition being held at the City Hall from Thursday.