| rajendra |
Posted
on 01-Dec-00 07:27 PM
From Kathmandu Post
IT Policy 2000 approved
By Ram Sharan Sedhai
KATHMANDU, Nov 30 - The Cabinet on 23 October approved the Information Technology Policy 2000 draft, prepared and made public by the Ministry of Science and Technology four months ago.
The policy vows to legalize e-commerce, introduce e-governance and computer education to primary up to university level curricula and to create a fair environment conducive to IT development.
With the adoption of the Policy, it is hoped that IT-related services will become efficient, qualitative and affordable for common people.
The policy envisages putting Nepal on the global IT map and exporting software and hardware worth Rs 10 billion over the next five years.
Making IT affordable to the general public thereby creating employment opportunities, building a knowledge-based society and establishing knowledge-based industries are the prime objectives of the policy.
To attain its objective of making the IT sector competitive through increased participation of the private sector, the Policy defines the government’s role as a promoter, facilitator and regulator and to announce IT as a "priority" sector, to pursue a one-window policy for IT development, to computerize government offices and create their web sites.
Likewise, the Policy aims at establishing physical and virtual information technology parks in different locations with private-sector involvement and a National Information Technology Centre (NITC). A Venture Capital Fund to be jointly set up by both the private and public sectors is another principal feature of the Policy.
The policy also envisages the development of a National Information Super Highway and a North-South Info Highway in order to keep abreast of the fast-changing trends in the IT sector. It also plans to connect Nepal with the rest of the world through a Broadband Information Network.
To make the Internet available throughout the kingdom, Internet Nodes will be established by private sector in the headquarters of all districts within five years. It also plans to provide four-hours a day of free Internet connection to colleges and schools within a five-year period.
The Policy plans to promote Distance Learning and to introduce School-net, Research-net, Commerce-net, Multilingual Computing, Tele-medicine, Tele-processing etc. through radio, television, Internet and intranet and to formulate necessary laws for their operation.
The new Policy allows customers to use voice mail for point to point conversation for individual purposes which does not require them to be connected to the existing public switched telephone network (PSTN). And it also includes a provision requiring each ministry to employ an IT officer.
To ensure the organized development of the IT sector, a 21-member National Information Technology Development Council (NITDC) led by the Prime Minister and an 11-member National Information Technology Coordination Committee (NITCC) headed by the Science and Technology Minister will be formed.
A National Information Technology Centre (NITC) will be established at the MoST initially and its regional and district offices will be opened as required. An Information Technology Development Trust (ITDT) will be set up and an additional 0.5 customs duty will be charged on goods to raise fund for the Trust.
The policy has proposed to levy one percent customs duty on the imported software, hardware and other IT-related spare parts and accessories and to give equal facilities to software and hardware exporters to other exporters in their foreign currency earning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
