The E-Governance Board under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) unveiled the E-Governance Blueprint on Tuesday, aiming to transform government operations through digital technology and establish a paperless public service system.
According to the board's Chief Executive Officer, Dipesh Bista, the draft of the blueprint, prepared on January 27, was officially released on Tuesday. Before its finalization, the board conducted discussions and interactions with multiple stakeholders to gather feedback.
The blueprint underscores the government's commitment to enhancing efficiency, transparency, accountability, and accessibility in public services through digital technology, reducing the need for physical presence at service centers. It outlines key priorities, including infrastructure development, policy and legal frameworks, institutional capacity enhancement, and research and innovation in digital governance.
The document identifies seven strategic pillars for digital transformation. These include establishing a clear governance framework for digital governance, strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks while promoting the development of digital promoters, and advancing digital literacy and skills development. It also emphasizes the formulation and implementation of digital standards and guidelines, improving regional and international cooperation, and fostering innovation and research in digital governance. Additionally, the blueprint highlights the need for the development, strengthening, and use of common infrastructures and standards to ensure a unified and efficient e-governance system.
Aligning with Nepal’s existing policies, including the ICT Policy 2072 BS, Government Enterprise Architecture Directive 2076 BS, and Digital Nepal Framework 2076 BS, the blueprint is expected to improve inter-agency coordination, enhance transparency in public service delivery, and strengthen Nepal’s digital governance ecosystem. It was prepared considering global e-governance frameworks and internationally established models, recognizing the need for a national strategic document. The document highlights the importance of procedural simplification, data security and privacy, and easy access to digital services while promoting e-governance.
The blueprint also identifies key challenges in Nepal’s digital transformation efforts. These include the limited policy-level authority of the board, functional and management-related hurdles in e-governance, the absence of a citizen service center for streamlined service delivery, and gaps in regional and international cooperation. Additionally, issues related to public procurement transparency and enforcement of digital guidelines and directives have been noted as obstacles to effective digital governance.
To address these challenges, the blueprint sets out a three-year action plan that includes drafting an E-Governance Act, restructuring the Department of Information Technology, establishing a Data Protection Authority, and developing a data exchange platform. These initiatives aim to strengthen the legal, technical, and institutional framework for e-governance in Nepal.
The initial draft of the blueprint, prepared by international consultants with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was received on April 29, 2024, and subsequently refined to align with Nepal’s context. The final draft, prepared by Nepali consultants, was received on September 30, 2024, and finalized on January 27, 2025.
The fifth meeting of the E-Governance Board, chaired by the chief secretary on January 28, 2025, decided to forward the blueprint to the relevant authorities for further review and input. -- RSS
