On 16 April 2023, the Embassy, in collaboration with the World Bank Country Office in Nepal, organized a brainstorming program ‘Connecting Nepal with the Global Digital Economy’ on developing Nepal’s IT sector with participation from the Ministers and senior officials of the Government of Nepal, prominent Nepali Diaspora IT professionals and entrepreneurs, and representatives of the World Bank, and US Department of State. The discussions in the program focused on finding ways to help Nepal connect with the global digital economy by tapping into the resources and talents among the Nepali Diaspora IT professionals and entrepreneurs and mobilizing support and cooperation from Nepal’s development partners including the World Bank and the US Government.
Addressing the program, Hon. Minister for Finance Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat spoke about Nepal’s priorities for developing the digital economy and expressed commitment to undertake further reform measures to create a more conducive environment for doing business in Nepal, including in the ICT sector. Hon. Minister for Information and Communication Technology Ms. Rekha Sharma highlighted the Digital Nepal Framework as the roadmap to Nepal’s digital transformation and shared that the Government is working on a new legislation and policy to encourage Nepal’s IT sector development.
Foreign Secretary Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal expressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy will continue to play their facilitative role in connecting the Diaspora population with relevant line Ministries of the Government of Nepal. Addressing the program, Finance Secretary Mr. Toyam Raya focused on the importance of the IT sector in providing various government services to the citizens. Information and Communication Technology Secretary Mr. Krishna Bhadur Raut was also among the participants in the program.
World Bank Country Director for Nepal Mr. Faris Hadad Zervos and IFC Country Manager for Nepal Mr. Martin Holtmann expressed the willingness of the World Bank Group to continue their support to Nepal’s development efforts including in the ICT sector.
Various prominent Nepali Diaspora IT professionals and entrepreneurs in the US, as well as those from Nepal, shared their views and ideas on further improving the IT business environment in Nepal, particularly focusing on the need for IT training and education to supply adequate human resources, creating a conducive foreign currency regime and forward-looking and predictable regulatory environment in Nepal. Moderating the brainstorming program, Ambassador Sridhar Khatri mentioned the Diaspora population as the greatest asset Nepal has in the United States and expressed the Embassy’s readiness to work with them in advancing Nepal’s economic interests in the USA.
Embassy of Nepal, Washington, D.C.
April 17, 2023
Press release on 4172023
