Jhapa administration launches seven faceless services for public

The Jhapa District Administration Office (DAO), a government body responsible for local administration in Jhapa district, has launched seven “faceless” public services, allowing citizens to access them without physical presence at the office. The new system came into effect on Tuesday.

Services and access

These services include permissions for religious and cultural programs, political and social events, caste verification recommendations, uploading citizenship records to the electronic system, checking the status of national identity cards and passports, and obtaining police verification and character certificates. Service seekers can access these facilities through online portals, dedicated email addresses, WhatsApp, and telephone. The DAO has also established a separate “help desk” to manage these integrated services.

For permissions related to religious and cultural events or political and social programs, citizens can use online links provided on the DAO’s website. Dedicated WhatsApp numbers are available for checking national identity card and passport statuses, while dedicated email addresses are used for police verification and character certificates. Applicants must provide their email or WhatsApp number to receive information and responses.

Objectives and benefits

Chief District Officer Shrawan Kumar Pokharel stated that the “faceless” service aims to make public service delivery easier, faster, and more citizen-friendly by leveraging technology to reduce the distance between service providers and seekers. He emphasized that this initiative will save citizens time and expenses, while also reducing unnecessary crowds at the office.

Pokharel added that the government prioritizes a digital-friendly governance system to enhance good governance, and this effort seeks to end the need for citizens to repeatedly visit offices for routine tasks, connecting them directly with services virtually.

National digital governance push

The launch of these services in Jhapa aligns with the Nepal government’s broader policy to promote good governance and a digital-friendly administration. The “Digital Nepal Framework” (DNF) was initially implemented in 2076 BS (during the premiership of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli). To further enhance its effectiveness, a draft of “Digital Nepal Framework 2.0” has been made public, focusing on infrastructure development, access to digital services, digital literacy, and the promotion of a digital economy. The government aims to increase the use of information technology to make public service delivery transparent and efficient.

Madhesh Province has also set a goal to make public services “faceless” and “paperless,” allocating a budget for this purpose in the fiscal year 2079/80 (2022-2023). It has already implemented digital services like online application systems in offices such as the Provincial Public Service Commission.

Future plans and challenges

The Jhapa DAO stated its commitment to upgrading these new systems as needed to ensure their sustainability and effectiveness. Nationally, the government plans to implement an integrated office management system in all federal central bodies and enable all public service fees and charges to be paid electronically, including via QR codes.

The “Digital Nepal Framework 2.0” is expected to be implemented after cabinet approval, proposing a “Digital Transformation Council” led by the Minister of Communication and Information Technology to oversee national digital transformation. However, specific details regarding separate online portals, WhatsApp numbers, and dedicated email addresses for all seven services are not explicitly mentioned. Initial public feedback, implementation challenges, detailed statistics on time and cost savings, and specific data security measures are also not yet available.