CAN Federation demands government prioritise IT sector in Policies and Programmes

KATHMANDU: Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) has submitted its recommendation for the formulation of the government's policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2024/25.

A delegation led by CAN Federation President Ranjeet Kumar Poddar and General Secretary Chiranjibi Adhikari presented a 24-point suggestion paper to Dr. Kiran Rupakheti, Joint Secretary of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Office, on Wednesday.

CAN Federation urged the government to recognize the information technology sector as an industry through its upcoming policies and programs. Highlighting Nepal's software export of Rs. 67.8 billion in the last fiscal year alone, the federation emphasized the significant contribution of the private sector to national income through software and service sales. They believe additional government support for the IT sector could lead to even greater revenue generation.

The federation also requested government initiatives to achieve self-reliance in software production and promote domestic software production within Nepal.

CAN Federation recommended including the establishment of a finishing school in each province in the policies and programs. They believe these finishing schools would bridge the gap between the skills taught in IT programs and the specific needs of the IT industry, leading to better job placement for graduates and improved IT workforce management within Nepal.

Highlighting the approaching expiration of some GIDC licenses, CAN Federation suggested the creation of a concrete framework (guidelines) for GIDC operation.

Other recommendations included establishing a cyber security response team, implementing proper regulations for IT-based content control as opposed to strict censorship, emphasizing e-governance, and introducing scholarship programs for IT students.

The federation also proposed establishing a National ICT Council, focusing on disaster recovery, automating data center operations, prioritizing domestic resources and workforce for critical government IT systems, enacting clear legal provisions for data security and privacy, standardizing government software, assigning a unique identification number to each Nepali citizen, encouraging private sector participation in technology transfer, creating a centralized system for citizen biometric identification, updating customs duty valuation methods, and using digitalization to transform customs checkpoints into "Islands of Excellence."

Chiranjibi Adhikari, General Secretary of CAN Federation, stated that the suggestions aim to address the existing problems and challenges in the information technology sector through the government's policies and programs.

Ranjit Kumar Poddar, President of the Federation, stressed that the government should collaborate with the private sector to establish Nepal as an IT hub through its policies and programs.

Dr. Kiran Rupakheti, Joint Secretary of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Office, acknowledged receipt of the suggestions and expressed commitment to including them in the government's policies and programs.