ICT policy runs into controversy

Kathmandu, August 13

Draft of the proposed integrated information and communication technology (ICT) policy has run into controversy due to long-standing confusion on which ministry is responsible to drive the whole ICT sector.

Recently, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) came up with the draft of the policy, which has been termed as the umbrella policy of the ICT sector and targets to achieve 7.5 per cent contribution of ICT in the GDP. However, recommending IT policies to the government falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MoSTE). Earlier, MoSTE had introduced IT Policy 2000, which was later amended in 2011.

The draft policy has talked of restructuring MoIC and forming a separate Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MoICT), which will be the focal ministry for all ICT-related matters. Experts and private sector representatives said that the plan of a separate ministry is good to tap the potential of the sector that has remained neglected for a long time. To do this, the government will be required to remove the IT-related components from the MoSTE and hand it over to MoICT.

“The policy has been drafted in the spirit that the national policy and strategy in the ICT sector will be handled by a single ministry,” said Ananda Raj Khanal, director of Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), which is collecting feedback on the draft policy.

MoICT will be formed within 2016 and NTA will be restructured as Nepal Communication Authority, if things go as per the plan of the policy.

However, even if the ICT policy gets endorsed, implementing it will be far from easy due to the requirement to make changes in numerous laws and the dispute between the two ministries.

“It is a bitter reality that the development of the ICT sector has lagged due to the tussle between MoIC and MoSTE on policy-related issues,” said Bhesh Raj Kanel, former chairman of NTA. He added that MoIC has the necessary resources, but no clear jurisdiction; whereas MoSTE lacks fund for IT development and is considered as one of the most neglected ministries.

Many programmes introduced by the two ministries at different times without coordination with each other have clearly showed that all is not well in the relation between MoIC and MoSTE.

For instance, targeted at integrated ICT development to be achieved over next five years, National IT Road Map proposed by MoSTE is currently under consideration of the Cabinet. And yet, MoIC officials are not aware of all the details in it. The road map is based on the plans incorporated in the existing IT policy and has targeted to make IT sector one of the top 10 contributors to national GDP by 2018.

Amid the row over ministerial role on ICT, last year, the Development Committee of the Legislature-Parliament had also instructed the government to solve the confusion by clearly separating the jurisdiction of both the ministries.

Private sector representatives opine the government must not keep the sector suffering because of the dispute between the two ministries.

“The ICT policy looks good as it has talked of boosting use of ICT in different areas, but it is the MoSTE which should come up with such policy, not the MoIC,” said Binod Dhakal, president of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) Federation, who is also a member of National IT Council headed by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. He said that the role of the

Department of Information Technology (DoIT), which is currently under MoSTE, has been completely neglected in the policy.

At present, DoIT, Office of Controller of Certification and National Information Technology Centre are under MoSTE. And, minister or state minister of MoSTE is vice-chairman of the National IT Council that is responsible to recommend required polices to the government. However, the Council has not held even a single meeting so far, as per Dhakal.

Source: THT