The World Bank‘s Board of Executive Directors approved $50 million today to boost Nepal’s digital public infrastructure and digitize public services, fundamentally changing how services are delivered to people, the bank said in a statement. The Nepal Digital Transformation Project will invest in digital platforms including an integrated online citizen service portal, an integrated social registry, a secure government-wide data exchange, and a digital locker to manage verifiable credentials and digital wallets. The project will also help digitize high-impact services including land administration, with other services being added in phases.
The project aims to boost private sector investment in the data infrastructure market by improving legal and regulatory frameworks. To promote trust in the digital economy, it will invest in electronic signatures, cybersecurity, and data governance.
“By investing in core digital platforms and digitalizing services, this project will help deliver enhanced services to people and businesses in an inclusive and transparent manner, thereby improving service delivery, public sector efficiency, and good governance,” said David Sislen, World Bank Division Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
The project will be financed under a joint co-financing arrangement between the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank under the Full Mutual Reliance Framework. The World Bank is the lead lender while ADB will serve as the trail lender and contribute $40 million. ADB’s management is expected to present the project to their Board for consideration in March 2026.
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Department of National ID and Civil Registration. Once operational, the digital platforms are expected to make government services more accessible to citizens, particularly in rural and underserved areas where physical access to government offices can be challenging.
