ADB Country Director Koshwa calls on Communication Minister Timilsina

KATHMANDU: A delegation from the Asian Development Bank led by Country Director for Nepal Arno Koshwa paid a courtesy call on Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dr Bikram Timilsina at his office in Singha Durbar.

Officials said the meeting focused on enhancing collaboration between the Government of Nepal and ADB on digital transformation, with particular attention to policy and procedural facilitation for the effective implementation of the 'Nepal: Digital Transformation Project'.

Country Director Koshwa emphasised the need for stronger coordination among government agencies, clearer policy and procedural facilitation to ensure successful implementation, and called for more active cooperation from the government. He said ADB’s priorities include improving the business environment for the private sector, promoting the information technology sector and creating employment opportunities.

Koshwa added that Nepal needs a policy environment that encourages the private sector to expand the digital economy and that the development of technology-based industries could contribute significantly to economic growth and youth employment. He and the delegation discussed linking agriculture, tourism and information technology with digital transformation to reap notable benefits.

He specifically highlighted cybersecurity, data security, cloud policy and artificial intelligence as key pillars of Nepal’s digital future, warning that the country could fall behind in digital competitiveness without timely investment and clear policy-making in these areas.

Minister Timilsina expressed gratitude for ADB’s continuous financial and technical support and said the government is committed to completing development projects quickly, effectively and in a result-oriented manner. He said digital transformation should be seen not only as an expansion of technology but as a means to improve governance, facilitate service delivery and enhance transparency, and that the government will focus on policy reform, infrastructure expansion and human resource development to provide services digitally.

The meeting was attended by senior ministry officials, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and officials from ADB.

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