CAN Info-Tech 2017 threw open its doors at the Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall on Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Krishna Bahadur Mahara inaugurated the 23rd edition of the tech fair that aims to bring buyers, sellers and tech-savvy people to a common platform. 

Speaking at the inaugural function, Mahara stressed the need to increase access to information and communications technology (ICT) even in remote places of the country. 

“Around eight years ago, when I began a campaign to increase access to mobile phones, people thought the idea was crazy. Now, many people even in remote areas have multiple SIM cards and handsets. This shows that accessibility to ICT is increasing,” Mahara said, adding that there was a need to increase the penetration rate further. 

Mahara also said that the government was committed to promoting ICT, and that it was necessary to accept modernization and adapt to modern technology to increase the government’s efficiency.

President of the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) Federation Binod Dhakal urged the government to provide funding to CAN for the development of ICT in the country. 

“We have been working in association with the government for the past 25 years. It should allocate some budget for us to realize the dream of creating E-Nepal,” Dhakal said, adding that the federation had established networks in 56 districts across the country.  

CAN Info-Tech hosts 222 stalls of 158 companies featuring a wide range of ICT products and services. The main exhibition hall contains 49 stalls while there are five branding exhibition rooms outside. 

The stalls feature products and services like hardware sales and maintenance, power solutions, mobile accessories and internet service, among others, the organisers said. A number of exhibitors are offering discounts and promotional schemes to attract consumers. 

According to CAN Federation, the six-day event is expected to witness a footfall of more than 400,000. The first edition of CAN Info-Tech drew 4,000 visitors. Last year, 363,456 attendees thronged the fair. The federation said in a statement that there were 34,154 visitors on the very first day of the exhibition. 

Ticket prices for the event have been fixed at Rs100 for general visitors and Rs50 for students. Visitors buying tickets online from www.can.org.np will get a 20 percent discount. 

Meanwhile, the federation will be organizing CAN ICT Conference 2017 from January 29-30 on the sidelines of the tech fair. The theme of the two-day convention is ‘Information and Communication Technology for Sustainable Development’.

Experts will present working papers on subjects like smart city/village/communities, smart agriculture, smart education and smart health at the conference.