Kathmandu, July 21: The government has announced a major digital governance reform plan aimed at making public services fully digital, transparent, trackable and time-bound, while connecting government systems through a single national digital platform.
Government offices have been directed to restructure their operations by conducting time-and-motion studies and simplifying administrative procedures to reduce delays.
Priority services, including passports, citizenship certificates and driver’s licences, will be delivered through intermediary-free, paperless systems with fixed processing timelines. The goal is to allow citizens to complete applications and receive services without repeated visits to government offices.
Many public services are already available online. Company registration, annual returns, renewals, fee payments and certificate downloads can be completed through the Office of the Company Registrar. Online media can register and renew through digital platforms. At the same time, some land revenue and survey offices have also introduced online services.
Ashok Rana, information officer at the National Information Technology Centre, said digital governance remains a government priority. He said more services are gradually moving online, allowing citizens to apply, pay fees and access information from home while improving transparency, accountability and record management.
The government will continue implementing the Digital Nepal Framework, which focuses on digital infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, energy, tourism, finance and urban development. Priorities include expanding optical fibre networks, strengthening data centres, improving cybersecurity, promoting digital payments, telemedicine, e-learning and smart city services.
National identity cards will serve as the primary digital identity, while the Nagarik App will expand to include police clearance reports, passports and driver’s licences by automatically retrieving information from government databases. Citizens will also be able to book appointments online for services that require in person visits. Digital signatures will also be introduced.
A digital tracking system will monitor file movement and alert higher authorities if officials exceed processing deadlines. Government-issued certificates will be available for download through the Nagarik App or email.
The government also plans to establish a National Integrated Digital Governance Platform and an independent IT regulatory authority. A one-door business platform will combine company registration, tax registration, bank account opening and other approvals.
Health services will adopt integrated digital patient records, while agriculture will introduce a National Agricultural Market Information System providing farmers with daily market prices through SMS and digital platforms.
Chiranjivi Adhikari, acting president of the Computer Association of Nepal, welcomed the reforms but said success will depend on implementation. He urged the government to strengthen digital infrastructure and involve the private sector more actively in software development.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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