July 4, 2024, Kathmandu
President Ramchandra Paudel certifies the Security Printing Bill, 2081 BS, allowing for the local printing of key documents in Nepal. Passed by both houses of the federal parliament, the bill was certified as per Article 113(2) of the Constitution.
President Paudel Certifies Security Printing Bill
President Ramchandra Paudel has officially certified the bill related to security printing, paving the way for the local printing of bank notes, driving licenses, and other critical documents in Nepal.
This significant step was undertaken following the certification by the President’s Office as per Article 113 of the Constitution.
The bill, having previously been passed by both houses of the Federal Parliament—the House of Representatives and the National Assembly—was forwarded to the President for verification. On Tuesday, July 2 2024 (Ashad 18, 2081 BS), President Paudel gave his assent, making it law.
With this certification, Nepal will now handle the printing of essential documents such as citizenship certificates, national identity cards, passports, bank notes, excise stickers, and driving licenses domestically.
Certifies Security Printing Bill
This move is expected to enhance the security and integrity of these critical documents, reducing the reliance on foreign printing services and bolstering national security.
Security Printing Development Committee
Background:
Located between Asia’s two giants, China and India, Nepal is still a least-developed nation due to political instability, geographical location, poverty and illiteracy. It had commenced the efforts of planned economic development, making substantial progress in some social areas, such as health and education, and infrastructure, such as, transport, telecommunications and electricity, over the years. During this period, some small but productive sectors were not integrated into economic development. Security printing is such an area. Against this backdrop, the Nepali government issued Security Printing Committee (Formation) Order based on the Development Committee Act, 2013, leading to the establishment of the Security Printing Center with its administrative office operating from inside Singha Durbar.
Scope of work
- To prepare policies, plans and budgets related to security printing.
- To build necessary infrastructure for the security printing.
- To operate the security printing press to print passports, chequebooks, smart cards, banknotes, postal stamps and excise stickers, among others.
- Personalization of passports and smart cards.
- Fix the service charges and conduct study and research on security printing.
- To carry out training and orientation programs on security printing, and manage economic resources.
Vision:
- To make Nepal self-reliant on security printing and develop the country as the international hub of security printing.
Objectives:
- To save national revenues spent on security printing run by the foreign companies and make reliable services and quality products related to security printing available as in the international market.
Goal:
- To develop security printing as the source of national income, productive employment, and foreign currency as far as possible.
Click here for additional information: https://www.spc.gov.np