We will extend telephone service to all regions of country soon: Minister Sharma

Kathmandu, April 7  : Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has expressed the government’s commitment to promptly extend telephone and information technology services in all regions of Nepal.

She was responding to lawmakers’ queries related to her Ministry in the meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today. The Minister assured that the development of telephone and technology sector would be pursued for national interest by increasing the human resources and work efficiency. “There are still challenges providing quality telephony and information technology services in the country. Efforts are being made to provide smooth and quality services by removing the mobile and server related problems,” she pledged. Stating lack of easy access to telephone service at several places along the main highways in the country even at present, Minister Sharma informed the parliament that initiatives were made to address these issues at the earliest.

She stated that challenges were seen in expansion of telephone service as the house-owners in the urban areas including in Kathmandu Valley did not allow installing telephone towers on their house roof. The Communication and Information Technology Minister shared that the Bill Designed to Amend the Telecommunication Act, 2053 would be implemented after discussions with the stakeholders. She made it clear that the new legislation would not include the provision of ‘phone tapping’, urging the media and stakeholders not to create misleading by linking the Ministry’s works with the Bill. She also said there was no dispute on the topic of restructuring the Postal Service. Minister Sharma said the Ministry is capable fulfilling its responsibility as outlined in the common minimum programme of the government by systematically resolving the problems seen in the mass communications, information technology, film, telecom and allied sectors.