Execution of e-governance remains poor in Nepal

 Kathmandu, Feb. 23

IT experts have said that Nepal is facing a poor execution of visions in e-governance despite having comparatively good policies.

"E-governance should be seamless and people should feel gratified but our mark on execution of IT-related policies and strategies is zero," said Manohar Bhattarai, IT expert and former vice-chair of High-Level Commission for IT, while speaking at TechGov Nepal 2025 organised by Marching Ants in Kathmandu on Sunday.

According to him, vision, policy and execution are fundamental for the development of IT sector. He suggested learning from Estonia, South Korea, Singapore and India, the countries that went ahead in the path of IT-sector development including e-governance.

Currently, Nepal is working on a new e-governance blueprint to implement innovations in e-governance. Bhattarai suggested that Nepal should adopt the 'once only principle' for citizens' data and information as implemented by Estonia.

He said that e-governance not only promotes transparent and effective government but also helps in inclusivity.

"However, political commitment is the first fundamental for the advancement of e-governance. It applies to all levels of the government," he said.

Dipesh Bista, CEO of e-Governance Board, said that data sharing among the concerned government agencies and other institutions will promote the 'once only principle'.

However, he maintained that to ensure the safety of data, 'decentralised interoperability' will be applied. The e-governance board is working to achieve the same results, he said.

Kedar Bhandari, an engineer at the e-Governance Board, stated that there is a need to reengineer the entire business process by removing hurdles, reducing steps and creating an entirely faceless system.

He emphasised on regional and international cooperation, the development of digital enablers, the promotion of digital literacy, and research and development in the sector.

The programme deliberated on effectively using traditional and digital media to drive awareness and citizen engagement in Nepal’s digital transformation efforts.

It is an effort toward building a sustainable partnership between media and digital governance entities, ensuring that journalists have access to credible information and that government agencies actively engage the media in their awareness campaigns, said the organiser.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 24 February 2025.