Security Printing services could be available within home: Minister Sharma

KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said reliable and quality services regarding the security printing could be available within the country itself.

As she stated, the government will establish a specialized agency to render reliable and quality security printing services.

In her replies to lawmakers’ queries over the Security Printing Bill in a meeting of the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee, House of Representatives, today, the Minister said the government is committed to deal with and promote security printing works as a project of national pride.

She said the Bill that has been already endorsed by the National Assembly has proposed to establish a specialized center with authority to deal with the security printing affairs.

The government Spokesperson said the Bill was presented in the House in 2077 BS and the Budget Speech for the current fiscal 2080-81 BS has the provisions of looking after the security printing affairs and the works of Department of Printing from a single entity and it has been advised to establish a center to look after the security printing affairs by keeping the Department of Printing as it is.

Minister Sharma shared that the government had a plan to phase out additional postal services in phase-wise and establish a postal service department in each local level.

Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information and Technology, the Bill would be enriched on the basis of the amendments received from the National Assembly and by taking into account the current situation.

He opined that the Bill could be further enriched on the basis of the suggestions furnished by parliamentarians.

In the meeting presided by Bhanubhakta Joshi, President of the Committee, member Dr Chandra Bhandari called for ending the trend of ‘copy-paste’ the definitions and terminology used in foreign countries while formulating the laws here.

Another member Devendra Poudel viewed that the agencies such as Janak Education Material Centre Ltd, Sajha Publiction, Nepal Academy among others could be involved for the Security Printing Press.

Sumana Shrestha, another member, opined that the tendency to breach the confidentially of the materials printed in the Security Printing Press could be discouraged if hefty fine was imposed instead of an extended period of imprisonment.