Govt committed towards good-governance and anti-corruption activism: Minister Sharma

KATHMANDU: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma asserted that the incumbent government has been taking a tough stance against corruption and is working towards ensuring good governance since its formation.

At a programme organized by the Nepal Telecom State Directorate Madhesh State in Janakpurdham of Dhanusha district today, Minister Sharma opined that the government’s actions towards good governance and against corruption had bothered many people.

On a different note, Minister Sharma said that the incumbent government had resolved a huge problem in Madhesh (Terai) by introducing a bill related to citizenship identity cards.

She warned that anyone misusing the bill, introduced to provide citizenship identity cards to original Nepali citizens, would be brought to book.

The Minister said, “The citizenship identity card-less offspring of Nepali citizens are getting citizenship identity cards at present. Work relating to the Civil Service Act has been taken forward. The government is seriously working towards delivering public services. This has caused a headache to some people who are evidently seen in the street and in parliament.”

According to her, the government had formed a powerful commission to deliver justice to the victims of loan sharks. The government had taken initiatives to resolve the usury-related problems by setting up a commission in Janakpurdham.

The Minister viewed that the Telecom’s service should be easy and convenient for the service-seekers for which, she suggested, that human resources should be trained accordingly.

Recalling her first decision in the role was to expand the internet and mobile phone network in all places along the Highway, Minister Sharma called for its full implementation.

According to her, the incumbent government was working towards promoting digital literacy. “The government has taken a step towards regulating and organizing social media by bringing them to the scope of law,” she added.

Furthermore, she informed that an electronic data security policy would be formulated for safe usage and storage of electronic data.

Minister Sharma shared that activities are underway with a plan to contribute in the revenue growth of the country by developing infrastructures of different sectors—education, health, and tourism by expanding 4G service related to telecommunication and launching 5G service.

It was necessary to address the existing digital divide at remote and rural areas by carrying out a detailed study about the availability of telecom service at rural areas, she mentioned.

The Communications Minister viewed that making the telecom service qualitative, reliable, and affordable was the main necessity of the hour. It is necessary to develop and expand telecom services by making necessary reforms in policy, legal and structural way regarding the operation and use of telecom services. Regulations of the telecom sector should be made effective by removing evils and aberrations taking place in the telecom sector.”

Minister Sharma laid emphasis on the need of making the presence of Nepal strong in the information and telecom sector in the world by making Nepal fully information-technology friendly. It is necessary to move ahead making necessary coordination among the stakeholders to improve the quality of life of the Nepali people and materialize the concept of digital Nepal through information and technology.

“Nepal Telecom is testing 5G. We will launch 5G after a successful test of the 5G. It is our necessity and it is used in all infrastructures development and state’s revenue growth after the launch of 5G”, she expressed.

Communications Minister Sharma said the government has been paying special attention in formulating acts and rules keeping the speedy development of information technology in mind.