We are willing to collaborate with international sector in IT development: Minister Sharma

Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has said Nepal is eager to collaborate with the international sector for the development of information and technology.    
Minister Sharma said this during a meeting with Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Nepal, Park Tae-Young at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Singha Durbar today.    
On the occasion, she said that Nepal is ready to cooperate with all for the development of information technology.    
Stating that the Government of Nepal has taken the information technology as the main basis of prosperity, the Minister said the government has announced to invest one percent of the annual capital budget in research and innovation from this year.    
Minister Sharma shared that Nepal has recently issued the Cyber Security Policy and is preparing to set up a Cyber Security Centre soon. While appreciating the cooperation provided by the Republic of Korea in setting up the data centre now in operation, she said the Centre is to be made further secure and reliable.    
The CIT Minister said preparations have been made to extend internet facility to all the local level wards within the current fiscal year and the 5G services throughout the country.    
"Nepal would have made a big leap in the information technology sector when internet is expanded to all the wards. We are willing for exchange of G2G and P2P cooperation with the international sector including South Korea for the development of information and information technology in Nepal," she added.    
During the meeting, Ambassador Tae-Young maintained that the cyber security policy and initiative passed by Nepal for cyber security are significant. Noting that South Korea is the fourth country in terms of foreign direct investment in Nepal, he said his country wished to increase investment in the information technology sectors.    
The Ambassador said Korea has been extending much cooperation to Nepal not only at the governmental level but also at the private sector also. He informed that Samsung is providing assistance to the Innovation Centre at Pulchowk Campus.    
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