Govt to print excise stamps, citizenships and national ID cards at Security Printing Centre

KATHMANDU, July 6: The government plans to begin printing excise duty stamps, citizenship certificates, national identity cards and other security documents at the Security Printing Centre from the next fiscal year, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dr Bikram Timilsina said on Monday.

Responding to lawmakers' queries in the National Assembly, Timilsina said the centre has so far printed 2.4 million driving licences and 3.5 million postage stamps in the current fiscal year. The government has allocated Rs 220 million for the centre in the upcoming fiscal year to expand domestic printing of security documents and reduce dependence on foreign printing services.

He said the government aims to develop the Security Printing Centre into a self-reliant, commercially viable and result-oriented institution.

The minister's remarks came in response to concerns raised by CPN-UML lawmaker Roshni Meche, who questioned the rationale behind allocating Rs 150 million for a mobile frequency monitoring van and Rs 220 million for the Security Printing Centre while students in remote areas still struggle to access basic educational materials.

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Timilsina clarified that the allocation for the Security Printing Centre was a capital investment to fulfill its legal mandate rather than administrative expenditure. He added that the budget would be spent in accordance with approved standards while ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance.

The minister also defended the purchase of a new mobile frequency monitoring system, saying the existing monitoring van, procured in 2001 under a World Bank-supported telecommunications reform project, has become outdated and costly to maintain.

According to Timilsina, the new system will help regulate radio spectrum more effectively, detect unauthorized telecommunications equipment, FM stations, television and wireless systems, prevent frequency interference, particularly in border areas, and support Nepal's international obligations.

He said the upgraded system would also strengthen monitoring of 4G and 5G mobile services and digital broadcasting, improve the quality of telecommunications services, curb the use of illegal devices and help increase government revenue through better licensing and spectrum management.