Kathmandu: The government has endorsed the ‘National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, 2082 BS’, following its presentation by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The policy approval came during the Cabinet meeting held on August 11, as revealed by Minister for Communications and Information and government Spokesperson Prithvi Subba Gurung during a briefing on the decisions made by the Council of Ministers.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Cabinet meeting also saw the appointment of Sandip Rai from Panchthar district as the new General Manager of the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS). The position had been vacant for over a month following the retirement of the previous General Manager after a four-year tenure.
Further decisions from the Cabinet include the implementation of charges for motor vehicles using the Nagdhunga expressway. The charges are set at Rs 65 for cars and vans entering Kathmandu, and Rs 60 for exiting, with different rates applicable for minibuses, trucks, buses, and heavy vehicles.
Additionally, the Cabinet granted permission for Madhesh Province Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh to visit Switzerland from August 31 to September 6 for a study tour on inter-governmental cooperation and competition in the Swiss Federal System. Deputy Auditor General Bindu Bista was also approved to attend an event by the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) in the Philippines from September 22-26.
The meeting authorized a grant assistance of 90 million US dollars from the South Korean government for the Gandaki Technical School infrastructure development project. The minimum support price for Mota (coarse) unhusked rice was set at Rs 3,463.81 per quintal, and Rs 3,628.33 per quintal for medium rice for the current fiscal year.
Other approvals included the participation of the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in the “Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference 2025” in Seoul, Korea, and the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport in the Asia-Pacific Regional Road Safety Conference in Manila, Philippines. The Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation will represent the country in the Forty-Second ICAO Assembly in Montreal, Canada, from September 23 to October 3.
Finally, the Cabinet endorsed a proposal to add 725 temporary officer-level positions across various bodies under the Minister of Labour, Transport and Social Security for the fiscal year 2082-83 BS (2025-26).