Page 336 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 4

STS700 Suman R. A.
new data sources and generating the new statistical products in cost effective
way, timely and efficiently for smart decision making. CBS needs to make
further progress in delivering timely, frequent and persistent data utilizing the
big data. There needs a new dimension of approach in stepping up for the
exploitation of big data in collaboration with the private sectors. This will
enhance to combine and benefit from each other's strengths. This paper will
discuss the issues, challenges and prospects to utilize the big data in
generating the new statistical products.

2. Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Use Perspectives
in Nepal
Global technological advancements in the sector of information,
communication and technology (ICT) has also not isolated Nepalese people in
adopting and moving towards digital era. The number of internet users has
increased rapidly in the last year in Nepal. The internet has become as the
basic service of people’s life. According to Nepal Telecommunication Authority
(NTA) (January 15 2019) report, total number of voice service users are
39,979,561 which is 135 % of total population (29,514,745) and total number
of internet subscribers (broadband service) 17,215,980 which is about 58 % of
total population. This internet penetration index indicates the accessibility of
the internet to the people of Nepal. Likewise, e-banking transactions has been
increasing through electronic, interactive communication channels like
intelligent electronic device (ATM, PDA, internet etc.) in Nepal. E-banking
includes the systems that enable bank and financial institution customers,
individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business, or obtain
information on financial products and services through a public or private
network, including the Internet.
As per the latest statistics from Central Bank of Nepal (Mid-March 2019),
the entire country has a total of 4701 bank branches, 25.66 million bank
accounts, around 6.4 million mobile banking customers and 0.86 million
internet banking customers, 3049 ATM centers, 5.96 million debit card holders,
and 0.1 million credit card holders. There exists an increasing online
shopping’s, digital billing practice in the business centers or complex. Likewise,
social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, LinkedIn,
etc.) users are also in increasing in trend in Nepal. Total number of Facebook
users in Nepal were about 9.5 million in April 2018. Similarly, total number of
Instagram Users in Nepal were 1.2 million, twitter users 2.3 million, YouTube
users 3.8 million (Source: https://www.thesocialmediatoday.com/social-
media-users-facebooktwitterinstagram-in-nepal-2018/). These facts indicate
that use of ICT in daily life has been growing in Nepal. Such ICT behaviors if
tracked properly and streamlined in the statistical framework, there is a high
prospect of big data in producing some important aspects of statistical
information, which may be useful in smart decision making. In this respect, the

325 | I S I W S C 2 0 1 9