Facebook, CAN Federation and IGI partner to help boost Nepali SMEs

Kathmandu, Jul 4

CAN Federation, the Internet Governance Institute and Facebook launched a #BoostwithFacebook partnership on Friday to help  support local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) during the current global health crisis.

As part of the collaboration, which has the support of the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, partners will also mentor SMEs and offer other support and tools.

SMEs will also be able to host whitelisted content on partners’ websites.

"CAN Federation is excited to contribute to SMEs, the backbone of the Nepali economy, in this difficult time, to help revive their business using digital tools and platforms," said Nawaraj Kunwar, President of CAN Federation.

"Collaboration with Facebook, one of the significant platforms for business and IGI, the ICT Policy think tank in Nepal, with the support of the Department of Information Technology will significantly contribute to the rise and revival of SMEs in Nepal," he added.

As part of this collaboration, partners hosted their first capacity building programme on July 3. 

"Boost with Facebook is aimed at strengthening businesses by equipping them with digital tools, knowledge, and skills to help build a strong community that can thrive together, despite the current economic challenges," said Shelly Thakral, Head of Policy Programmes for India, South and Central Asia at Facebook. 

“Boost with Facebook gives small and medium businesses the tools that they need to tell their stories and build real connections with their audience,” Thakral added.

"The Government of Nepal has always been supportive of the multi-stakeholder collaboration to support SMEs in Nepal. I believe this collaboration will significantly contribute towards #boosting the Nepali economy", said Prem Sharan Shrestha, the Director General of DoIT.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 5 July 2020.