Nepal to centralize printing of official documents, 5G service launch planned
Minister Gurung said the Security Printing Press will manage the printing of postage stamps, smart cards, immigration documents, citizenship certificates, national identity cards, and passports.
KATHMANDU: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has announced that starting next year, Nepal’s Security Printing Press will handle all printing work except for banknotes.
Speaking at an event in Kathmandu on Sunday, Minister Gurung said the Security Printing Press will manage the printing of postage stamps, smart cards, immigration documents, citizenship certificates, national identity cards, and passports.
He revealed that 2.8 million smart driving cards are currently being printed.
This year, 6.4 million passports are being produced by an external agency.
Although a proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to print the remaining 4.4 million passports domestically, it could not be approved due to the Ministry’s insistence on printing all at once. Consequently, the external company continues to print passports.
Minister Gurung described the move as a major milestone for Nepal. Regarding banknotes, he said a separate machine would be required, and preparations for that process would begin soon.
He also confirmed that Nepal plans to roll out 5G services from mid-January.
The minister stated that during a performance agreement with the Prime Minister, it was decided to launch 5G services within the month. T
he rollout will begin in Kathmandu and Pokhara this year, with plans to expand to all metropolitan areas next year, eventually covering the entire country.
