Kathmandu, Aug. 6
The Department
of Consular Services (DoCS) has launched Nepal e-Attestation System (NEATS) to
make consular attestation services technology-enabled.
Minister for
Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal launched the new system at a programme organised
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. However, the new online system
will be operational from August 17 (Bhadra 1).
Through the new
system, service users will be able to submit online applications for consular
attestation, track the status of their applications, pay government fees and
book appointments for document attestation from anywhere in the world.
Speaking on the
occasion, FM Khanal said the digital system had been introduced in line with
the government's commitment to making services delivered by the Ministry and
its subordinate agencies more accessible, simpler, transparent and efficient.
"I am
extremely pleased that the very first decision I took after assuming
responsibility for the MoFA has now become a reality. I am confident that this
initiative will make a significant contribution towards establishing the
Ministry as a model for public service delivery," he said.
Under the new
system, applicants will be able to submit applications online from anywhere in
the world, monitor their application status, and, once approval has been
granted, pay the required fees online before selecting a convenient date and
time to visit the Department.
As the document
processing and fee payment can be done online, applicants now only need to
visit the department after their application has been approved. It will
eliminate the need to queue for long hours or make repeated visits because of
minor errors or missing documents.
Minister Khanal
said that 112,593 students obtained No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for
foreign study during the fiscal year 2023/24, while around 400,000 Nepalis
receive labour approvals each year for foreign employment. "These figures
demonstrate the rapidly growing demand for consular services," he said.
According to
him, the need and importance of consular attestation have grown even further
because authenticated documents are essential for Nepalis living abroad,
including for family reunification, emergency evacuation, and compensation or
insurance claims for families of injured or deceased Nepali nationals.
He also
announced that, in the next phase, the Ministry aims to collaborate with the
Department of Postal Services to deliver authenticated documents directly to
applicants' homes. He further stated that preparations are under way to
establish interoperability with government agencies and local authorities
responsible for issuing public documents, with the aim of making the
authentication process even simpler, faster and more efficient.
Speaking on the
occasion, Director General of the DoCS, Durapada Sapkota, said that until now,
applicants travelling from remote districts were often forced to return to
their local authorities or other government offices even if minor errors or
incomplete documentation were identified.
"The NEATS
is being launched as a solution to it. It will significantly reduce the time,
cost and inconvenience involved for the applicants. It will reduce the work
load of the staff at the DoCS as well," she said.
The DoCS has not
only developed the online system but has also prepared standardised formats for
the language and presentation of public documents issued by government
agencies, which have been circulated to the relevant institutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment