Fostering ICT sector for Sustainable Employment and Economic Growth in Nepal: Rising Together

Introduction to ICT sector

The Information Technology (IT) sector is one of the rapidly growing sectors in Nepal. IT in Nepal is still in its initial phase. The government has given high priority to this sector due its huge potentiality of growth and contribution in national income.

The Ministry of Information and Communication has formulated the National Information and Communication Technology Policy in 2015. The basic goals taken up by the policy includes to enhance the digital literacy thereby increasing the significance of the ICT industry in the national economy, the promotion of the ICT industry with the increased access to the internet, online services, e-procurement etc. The Policy has well prioritized the human resource development in ICT targeting the development of the critical skill areas. For this, the proper education system, specifically targeting the ICT sector is being projected. Besides, the youth and gender issues are also under the priority in the sector.

A study conducted by the Center for Inclusive Development Studies (IIDS) reveals that skilled IT freelancers export services worth an average of $15,322 annually. The study also demonstrates that in 2022 alone, information technology services worth about 68 billion rupees were exported. This accounts for approximately 1.4 percent of Nepal’s gross domestic product and 5.5 percent of total foreign exchange earnings.

According to the study, the number of IT professionals working within companies and independently in 2022 was 66,509. Among them, 7,212 were engaged in clerical data entry, 7,355 in creative and multimedia roles, 267 in professional services, 3,326 in sales and marketing support, 14,728 in software development, and 5,668 in digital writing and translation on digital platforms. The ICT sector in Nepal holds immense potential and hope for the country’s development.

While the data exhibits significant scope pertaining to the development of the country through ICT sector, it also highlights the reliance on individual efforts. Workers engaged in the ICT sector are often outsourced or working independently, which leads towards potential risks to working conditions. Despite their significant contribution to the GDP, these workers lack benefits such as social security, leading to a high turnover rate. Protecting workers’ rights and enhancing their capacity is crucial for the ICT sector’s development. Considering this fact, UNICTS has prioritized the issues and rights of the IT workers and is working on it for decent work in this sector.

Establishing a strong relationship among stakeholders is essential for the development of the ICT sector and, eventually, the entire country. Social dialogue plays a crucial role in creating harmonious relationships among employers, employees, and regulatory bodies. It serves as a flexible tool that enables governments, employers’ organizations, and workers’ organizations to manage change and achieve economic and social goals. The primary aim of social dialogue is to promote consensus-building and democratic involvement among the main stakeholders in the world of work. Successful social dialogue structures and processes have the potential to address crucial economic and social issues, promote good governance, enhance social and industrial peace and stability, and boost economic progress.

In this light, UNICTS has organized a social dialogue program with the theme “Fostering ICT sector for Sustainable Employment and Economic Growth in Nepal: Rising Together “on September 22, 2023.

The dialogue will address burning issues within the ICT sector, providing guidance for both individuals and policy-makers.

The Ministry of ICTS, ICTS companies, experts, CAN federation, and Trade Union National Centers will partake in the social dialogue to collaboratively find reasonable and practical way outs to the challenges within the ICT sector.

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Program Schedule

8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast + Registration
Session Presentation by Mr. Alok Malla, Program Coordinator

Chairing
Chairperson: Mr. Shankar Lamichhane, President UNI NLC/ UNICTS
Chief Guest: Honorable Rekha Sharma, Minister of Communications and Information Technology
Special Guest: Mr. Ganesh Shah, Former Minister (Ministry of Science and Technology)
Mr. Rajendra Acharya, Regional Secretary, UNI APRO
Mr. Kyoichi Ando, President, UNI APRO-ICTS/ ICTJ-Japan

Guest of Honors:

• Mr. Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary, MOCIT (Government)
• Mr. Prem Sharan Shrestha, DG Department of IT (Government)
• Mr. Purushottam Khanal, Chairman, NTA (Government)
• Director, Department of Industry (Government)
• Mr. Sunil Paudel, Managing Director, Nepal Telecom
• Mr. Ranjeet Kumar Poddar, President, CAN Federation (Employer)
• Mr. Sudhir Parajuli, President ISPAN (Employer)
• Mr. Richan Shrestha, President, NAS IT (Employer)
• Mr. Hitesh Karki, Chairman, Deerwalk Group Ltd (Employer)
• Dr. Biswash Gauchan, Executive Director, IIDS (Expert)
• Mr. Vivek Shamser Rana, Information Technology Enablement Professional (Expert)
• Dr. Manish Pokharel, Dean, School of Engineering, Kathmandu University (Expert)
• Mr. Binod Shrestha ,President, JTUCC/GEFONT
• Mr. Yogendra Kunwar, President, NTUC
• Mr. Jagat Simkhada, President, ANTUF
• Mr. Shankar Lamichhane, President, UNICTS, Nepal
• Mr. Tilak Jung Khadka, Organizing coordinator -UNI APRO

Welcome Speech by Mr. Khushal Regmi, General Secretary UNICTS, Nepal
Inauguration by lighting Lamp: Chief Guest
Fraternal Greeting:
Government, UNI APRO, UNI ICTS, ICTJ-Japan

Opening Remarks Honorable Chief Guest
10:00 -10:30 Tea Break

Dialogue Session (10:30 – 13:00)
Chair – Mr. Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary, MoCIT
Theme Presentation- “Rising Together for the Development of the ICT Sector in Nepal”
Presenters- Dr. Manish Pokharel, Dean, School of Engineering, Kathmandu University
Dr. Biswash Gauchan, Executive Director, IIDS

Moderator: Mr. Hempal Shrestha, Independent Consultant/Researcher/Lawyer
Dialogue session summing up by the chair

Vote of Thanks Mr. Shankar Lamichhane, President (UNI NLC/UNICTS Nepal)
13:00 – 14:00 Closing followed by Networking Lunch

Date: 22 Sep, 2023 [5th Aswin 2080]
Time: 09:00 am -14.00 pm
Venue: Hotel Dusit Princess, Lazimpat (Near Radisson) Kathmandu