CAN Federation to Hold High-Level Dialogue on Nepal’s IT Budget 2083/84

Kathmandu- The Computer Association Nepal (CAN) Federation is set to organize a high-level multi-stakeholder dialogue to assess the impact, opportunities, and implementation challenges of Nepal’s Fiscal Year 2083/84 budget, which has placed Information Technology (IT) and digital innovation at the center of the country’s economic transformation agenda.

The newly announced national budget of NPR 2.124 trillion has outlined an ambitious vision of transforming Nepal from an import-dependent economy into a high-value digital economy. Key technology-focused measures include the establishment of a Sovereign AI Compute Center in Syuchatar, tax incentives for IT exports, a 10 percent digital VAT rebate, technology hub financing through Nepal Telecom share divestment, and the expansion of e-governance and fintech services.

According to CAN Federation, the dialogue aims to bring together government officials, policymakers, private-sector leaders, technology entrepreneurs, financial experts, and economic journalists to discuss the practical implications of these initiatives and explore ways to strengthen Nepal’s digital ecosystem.

The conceptual framework for the event has been prepared under the leadership of CAN Federation Acting President and noted IT entrepreneur Chiranjibi Adhikari. The discussion will focus on whether the budget’s digital commitments can translate into tangible opportunities for startups, software exporters, freelancers, and emerging technology companies.

Despite the positive reception of the budget, stakeholders have raised concerns regarding implementation. Questions remain over whether startups and independent developers will have equitable access to the proposed AI infrastructure, whether freelancers can effectively benefit from export-related tax incentives, and whether the newly announced NPR 500 million Enterprise Fund will support innovation without traditional collateral requirements.

The dialogue will also address several longstanding challenges facing Nepal’s technology sector, including limited access to international payment gateways, complex intellectual property registration procedures, inadequate research and development funding, and restricted access to global cloud infrastructure and digital financial tools.

Key Highlights for Discussion:

• Sovereign AI Compute Center and accessibility for startups
• Tax incentives for IT exports and freelancers
• NPR 500 million Enterprise Fund for innovation financing
• Expansion of e-governance and fintech services
• International payment gateway reforms
• Intellectual Property (IP) registration challenges
• Research and Development (R&D) funding gaps
• Access to global cloud and digital infrastructure

The event will take place on June 3, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM at the CAN Federation Secretariat, Khusibu, Kathmandu.

Industry leaders believe the dialogue will provide an important platform to evaluate whether Nepal’s most technology-focused budget to date can become a genuine catalyst for digital transformation and economic growth.