E-Governance Drive: Nagarik App to Add Features to Reduce Service Delivery Hassles

The Nagarik App, launched in 2020 to provide public services directly to citizens, is expanding its features with plans to allow opening of bank accounts and tax payments through the platform. The government aims to use the app to achieve e-governance and reduce the hassles citizens face in accessing public services.

Currently, the app offers services such as applying for and obtaining a PAN card, accessing tax payment records, and retrieving details of citizenship, passports, academic certificates, and voter IDs. According to officials, the next phase will link banks and financial institutions to the app, enabling citizens to open bank accounts directly.

Santosh Aryal, the project manager of Nagarik App, said the integration of private sector services is underway. The app is working to provide Know Your Customer (KYC) verification for banks and financial institutions in coordination with the Department of National Identity and Civil Registration. “We are aligning the process to meet banks’ KYC requirements. The Ministry of Communications is making necessary policy arrangements,” Aryal told New Business Age.

He added that laws are being drafted to regulate data sharing as private sector services are integrated. “We are working to eliminate the need to stand in queues for every government service,” Aryal said.

Payment Services Expansion

The app already allows payment of traffic fines through QR scanning using eSewa and Khalti, with plans to add Connect IPS. Payments to the Public Service Commission and the Health Insurance Board can also be made via the app. Work is underway to enable payment of local government taxes, with Kathmandu Metropolitan City set to be the first to pilot the system.

Future updates will allow users to pay water and electricity bills directly through the app. Currently, citizens can view bills for Kathmandu Valley Water Supply and Nepal Electricity Authority via the app but cannot yet make payments. Aryal said integration is in progress, but a centralized billing system is required for full implementation.

Linking Hospitals and Other Services

Plans are also underway to link hospitals to the app to allow users to book OPD tickets online. A proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Health and Population to connect the Hospital Management System to the app, including institutions such as Bir Hospital.

The app will also facilitate driving license renewal and vehicle tax payment. In Bagmati Province, driving license renewal via the app is being developed. Additionally, systems are being designed to handle vital event registration digitally through the app.

Aryal said efforts are ongoing to automate data processing to make service delivery more efficient. “Some banks are already using an automated system to open accounts. We are expanding this to all banks to remove the hassle of filling out physical forms for account opening and KYC verification,” he said. Nepal Bank, Siddhartha Bank, and Citizens Bank have already started using this feature.

Job Search via the App

The app has also integrated a job portal through the Ministry of Labour’s Shram Sansar system, allowing users to search and apply for jobs free of charge. Over 300 employers and 250 job postings are currently active, with more than 500 verified foreign employment demands updated daily. Employers can also post vacancies and hire staff directly through the platform.