CAN Info-Tech 2020 in February

CAN Info-Tech 2020 is going to be held in the capital in February next year.
Organising a press meet in the capital today, the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) informed that the biggest gala of information, communications and technology (ICT) is scheduled to be held at Brikuti Mandap on February 14-19 with an aim of promoting the use and development of information, communication and technology in the country.
General Secretary of CAN Narayan Thapa, on the occasion, said that the 2020 version of CAN Info-Tech will focus on creating awareness on ICT, explore the needs of industries and entrepreneurs and provide necessary supports related to ICT.
According to CAN, the technology gala will be organised in all the seven provinces – at Itahari of Province 1, Bigunj of Province 2 and Chitwan of Province 3, Pokhara of Gandaki Province, Butwal of Province 5, Surkhet of Karnali and Dhangadi of Sudur Paschim Provinceas the provincial version.
Newly elected president of CAN Nawaraj Kunwar, on the occasion, informed that an international level infotech will be organised in the near future in view of the Visit Nepal Year 2020 (VNY2020).

ICC releases two years' remuneration of Nepali cricketers

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the remuneration – that was stopped after the ICC suspended the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) – of Nepali cricket players of the past two years.
The National Sports Council (NSC) member secretary Keshab Bista confirmed that the Council has received Rs 12. 79 million – which will be paid to 21 cricketers – yesterday.
The cricketers – categorised into ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ group – will be entitled to the facility. The  ‘A’ category cricketers are paid Rs 35,000 per month whereas the ‘B’ category players get Rs 25,000 and the ‘C’ category gets Rs 15,000 per month.
The 'A' category players including captain Paras Khadka, vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Bheswakar, Basanta Regmi, Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Airee and Sandip Lamichhane. They will get Rs 840,000 each as the remuneration of last two years.
Likewise, 'B' category players including Arif Sheikh, Karan KC, Lalit Bhandari, Anil Kumar Shah, Rohit Poudel, Lalit Rajbanshi and Shakti Gauchan will get Rs 600,000 each, whereas ‘C’ category players including Subash Khakurel, Sagar Pun, Dilip Nath, Sunil Dhamala, Susan Bhari, Pradeep Airee and Binod Bhandari will receive Rs 300,000 each as their remuneration of last two years.
According to the Council, team manager Raman Shiwakoti and main coach Jagat Tamata will also get their remunerations of last two years, though the amount has not been disclosed. The ICC suspended the CAN some two-and-a-half years ago, citing the government intervention and partiality. But the latest feat of the Nepali cricket team in the one and 20Twenty has made the ICC rething on its decision to stop the remunerations of the cricketers.

CAN Info-Tech from January 25

The annual ICT gala is taking place from January 25.
Federation of Computer Association of Nepal – organising a press meet today – informed that the Subisu CAN Info-Tech- 2018 will start from January 25 and last till January 30. The expo will showcase hardware, sales and maintenance, power solutions and mobile accessories during the six days. "There will be a total of 222 stalls in the exhibition," according to CAN Federation president Hemanta Chaurasiya.
"Students from government schools will be given free entry provided but they have to be registered in advance," he added.
According to Subisu president Sudhir Parajuli, such expo will be organised in four provinces among the seven.

IT sector’s contribution to state coffer growing

Contribution of the Information Technology (IT) industry to the state coffer has jumped by eight times over the past six years, according to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
According to the department, IT industry contributed Rs 15.1 billion to the state coffer in the fiscal year 2013-14, compared to Rs 2.3 billion six years ago in fiscal year 2009-10.
The IT industry contributed Rs 14.4 billion – including both VAT and non-VAT – in the first 10 months of Fiscal Year 2014-15. Contribution from IT sector is estimated to exceed Rs 16 billion in the fiscal year 2014-15,  a growth of eight times in just six years.
Despite low registration of IT-based companies, according to the department, the contribution of the IT industry is very encouraging.
However, president of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) Federation Binod Dhakal said that the government should encourage IT industries not only to increase revenue but also to create more jobs. "We can control exodus of IT professionals, if the government promotes IT sector, as there is enough space for youth in this sector," he added.
Similarly, president of F1Soft Biswas Dhakal said that the government should help IT industry grow so that it can contribute more to the state coffer. "Despite government's apathy, the IT industry is contributing large amount of money to the state coffer," he said, urging the government to allocate a special area for IT industries with uninterrupted power supply. "It will help make IT sector one of the largest sources of income generation, apart from employment generation," he said, adding that it will also help retain IT professionals in the country.
IT-related businesses have started being formal lately with due registration that has also expanded tax base though the volume of transactions is still very small. Four universities, more than 62 colleges, over 318 software and hardware companies, ISPs, cyber net, web-design, hosting and registration, IT enabled services, and networking services providers have joined the tax net, data shows.
But there are no customs records documenting the import and export of software statistics. As import and export of software is carried out electronically, these activities may be missed from the national accounts.
The World Bank Study on IT and IT-Enabled Services Industry in Nepal conducted in 2010 showed Nepal's software export was worth $10-15 million in 2007. The study also estimated that Nepal's export revenue should be about $1.1 billion, with the industry employing up to 40,000 professionals. The estimate is almost 100 times the formal revenue.
According to IRD, more than 83,400 IT-based companies are in the tax net but only around 4,000 have been paying regular taxes.

Subisu CAN Info-Tech kicks off

The 20th edition of CAN Info-Tech has kicked off here in the Valley today.

The six-day CAN Info-Tech 2014 – an expo of information, communication technology and entertainment (ICT & E) was inaugurated by the vice-president Paramanda Jha.

Highlighting e-governance and internet he said that the technology has to be adopted by both the public and government.

Vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Pradeep Jung Pandey, on the occasion, asked the government to accord high priority to the IT sector for development.

Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) – the organiser of the six-day IT gala – said that there are some 221 stalls including stalls of hardware, sales and maintenance companies, power solution providers, dealers of mobile phones and accessories, hardware dealers and distributors, Internet service providers, telecommunication companies, ICT colleges and training institutes, and providers of software and payment solutions.

General people have to pay Rs 100 but students will get 50 per cent discount on entry ticket.

CAN-Infotech from January 2

The 20^th edition of CAN infotech is going to be held on January 2-7 in Kathmandu.

The annual Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) gala organised by CAN also is going to hold ICT Conference on January 5-6. The conference under the theme 'Mobile technology for smart society,' will have sessions on e-governance, e-commerce and payment, m-banking, m-education and its impact on society, national and international development.

According to the organisers, Subishu is the main sponsor of the six-day fair that will showcase Hardware Sales & Maintenance, Power Solutions, Mobile Accessories, Dealer & Distributors, ISP, Telecommunication, ICT College & Training Institutions, Software Solutions, Payment Solutions.

Online registration made mandatory

Company Registrar Office has made the registration of new companies through online system mandatory from today.

Under the doing business environment reform programme of IFC, the the office will no longer entertain files under manual system for registration of the companies.

"However, some of the papers will still have to be submitted in hard copies due to absence of digital signature law," deputy registrar at the office Toyanath Adhikari said. "A company representative needs to make a one-time visit to the office to pay registration fees and register official signatures."

The office that had started online registration system in February took a step further by fully automating the registration system said that Nepal is most probably among the last countries in South Asia to make the online company registration mandatory.

The online registration will increase efficiency of the office as it would not have to depend on human to handle the paper works as the new system will eliminate hassles and curb corruption too. 

"The old companies also need to follow the office online," he said, adding that the older companies have to open an account and obtain username and password to submit their annual reports and other documents to online.

The new system has comew into practice in the Kathmandu Valley for the time being and will be expanded soon to Rupandehi and Kavre to facilitate businessmen and entrepreneurs – old or new – in using internet-based registration service.

The office has signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) and Nepal Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate the online registration process.

CAN awards e-Sewa, IT professional

Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) awarded two individuals and an organisation for their contribution to the field of information communication technology (ICT).
It conferred the Best User in the Private Sector Award to e-Sewa — an online payment service provider that facilitates online transactions like utility payments even without bank accounts — for effectively using ICT applications
Likewise, ICT Business Excellence Award was conferred on chief election commissioner Nil Kantha Uprety and president of electronic equipment maker Beltronix Nepal Bijaya Krishna Shrestha.
Chief secretary Leela Mani Poudyal handed over the awards yesterday evening to the winners.
"ICT professionals should focus on optimum utilisation of available resources to bring a positive impact in the IT sector's development," said CAN president Binod Dhakal.