The first digital meeting of the Cabinet that convenes in Kathmandu on Thursday will fulfil Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s vow to go paperless.

The government has given laptop computers to all Cabinet ministers. On arrival at the Cabinet Hall at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) the ministers will receive username and One Time Password (OTP). The ministers would then login and access the Cabinet meeting’s agenda. Every Cabinet meeting will issue a new password.

The Chief Secretary will distribute the username and password of each Cabinet meeting to the Prime Minister and Ministers.

The PMO has installed cellphone jammers on its premises as well as at the Prime Minister’s residence to secure the discussions and ensure no disturbances or distractions during the Cabinet meetings.

The PMO has installed software that enables it to send and receive soft copies to various ministries. Ministers shall receive all meeting agendas electronically through special software. This move breaks the practice of dispatching agenda manually as the PMO expands its digital communication.

After its successful installation, citizens too would have access to Cabinet decisions once the system starts.

The PMO’s move follows Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s warning on May 30 to dismiss any minister who does not know how to use a laptop.

“I have already said in the Council of Ministers meeting that we will make the office paperless within six months. The meeting’s programmes and agenda will be discussed using laptops,” the PM had stated, speaking at the 12th general convention of the Nepal National Teachers Organisation in Kathmandu.

Although the software was installed two years ago at the PMO, successive governments failed to use it.