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Launching of “Nepali e-Haat Bazaar” UNDP Nepal in the News – The Rising Nepal, The Himalayan Times
Hon'able Minister of Local Development Mr. Khadga Bahadur GC, Hon'able Vice Chairperson of HLCIT Mr. Sharad Chandra Shah, Member Secretary of HLCIT Mr. Atma Ram Ghimire, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Mr. Ghulam Isaczai and President of FNCCI Mr. Chandi Raj Dhakal addressed the ceremony. On September 12, 2005 Sankhuwashava Chamber of Commerce & Industry started the service of Nepali e-Haat Bazaar. During the launching programme, orientation on B2B e-Commerce was organized for the business community, members of Sankhuwashava Chamber of Commerce & Industry, TLO members, etc. The orientation was provided by the ICT Advisor of the Programme Mr. Suresh Dhoj Shrestha. The B2B e-Commerce service was launched by the Chairperson of Sankhuwashsva District Development Committee. To make the B2B e-Commerce effective, the CCI has established B2B e-Commerce Unit.Initiation of B2B e-Commerce in Nepal
Since RUPP is playing a key role in alleviating poverty in rural and urban areas, ICT has been intensively used as an effective tool by RUPP in the process of alleviating poverty. After the successful implementation of AgriPrice web site by joint collaboration of RUPP and AEC/FNCCI, RUPP is providing technical support to establish B2B e-Commerce in all 12-partner municipalities with the objective of poverty alleviation and establishing regional linkages. A consultant for the development of B2B e-Commerce web site has been hired after the evaluation of presentation made by different short-listed consultants on B2B e-Commerce. After several workshops with Local Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI) of all 12 partner municipalities, private sectors, AEC/FNCCI, B2B e-Commerce web site was developed and hosted to promote mutual business among entrepreneurs to establish regional linkages. www.B2B.com.np is the B2B web site where sellers can put their product information and buyers can find the required information of products they are willing to buy. They can also make direct contacts to buyers and sellers for making orders. In this web site farmers, traders and entrepreneurs can find Technology information as well. Implementation of B2B e-CommerceRUPP has made an Agreement with Kathmandu Campus, Purbanchal University of Nepal for the B2B awareness campaign. The Programme selected around 74 Bachelors of Computer Application (BCA) final year students of Kathmandu Campus for B2B e-Commerce awareness campaign in 5 selected municipalities. These students working as internee were divided into 5 groups and deputed to Bharatpur, Hetauda, Butwal, Biratnagar and Pokhara for awareness of B2B e-Commerce in every TLO. Students have successfully completed the awareness campaign, which was very helpful for the implementation of B2B e-Commerce. Apart from this, awareness of B2B e-Commerce is included in the community mobilization process of RUPP. Distribution of one page leaflet to every enterprise of respective municipality and Rural Market Centres is process. While organizing the awareness campaign in different municipalities, RUPP has also initiated for the development of B2B e-Commerce web site. Four IT consulting firms have been short-listed and organized the presentation programme on B2B e-Commerce for the selection of the right consultant for the development of B2B site. The presentation programme was attended by PMU staff for the evaluation and the consultant was selected for the development of B2B e-Commerce web site.
Similarly, orientation training on B2B e-Commerce has been provided to all 12 CCI staffs for operation, maintenance and dissemination of information. Till date, B2B e-Commerce has been implemented in Pokhara, Tansen, Butwal, Bharatpur and Vyas municipalities. B2B e-Commerce initiated in replicating municipalitiesRealizing the power of Information ICTs in poverty reduction, RUPP is providing technical support to initiate B2B e-Commerce in all partners as well as replicating municipalities in joint collaboration with local CCI and AEC/FNCCI. With the objective of establishing regional market linkages, local CCIs of replicating municipalities - Inaruwa and Itahari have initiated B2B e-Commerce activities from December 8 and 9, 2004 respectively. Orientations on e-Commerce were also provided in both the places to the business community, Linkage Enterprises, members of local CCIs, NGO, etc. Simultaneously, the B2B e-commerce web site is being updated incorporating the requests from various stakeholders and recommendations submitted by the ICT project - Accessing the feasibility of ICT initiatives of RUPP - executed by UN Habitat. While updating the web site, demands from the members of FNCCI and CCIs have also been catered providing facility to access international markets. This B2B e-Commerce web site is being established as national B2B e-Commerce web site jointly with the support of a High Level Commission for Information Technology (HLCIT), AEC/FNCCI and RUPP. Assessment of performance and key results of the initiative Aligned with the IT Policy of Nepal published in the year 2000, RUPP's initiatives in the area of B2B e-Commerce is in a way groundbreaking initiatives in that such strategically focused application of ICT's embedded with on-going development model hitherto did not exist in Nepal. These are at best entry-level activities, which have nevertheless been able to generate some important lessons with wider policy implications. More specifically, the initiatives have resulted in the following: - Exposed local entrepreneurs in municipalities and VDC's to the potential of ICTs.
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National B2B e-Commerce web site named "Nepali e-Haat Bazaar" was officially launched by Hon'able Minister of Local Development Mr. Khadga Bahadur GC in June 15, 2005. This is a joint initiation of Rural Urban Partnership Programme (RUPP), High Level Commission for Information Technology (HLCIT) and Agro Enterprise Center (AEC)/Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI). The noble initiation to establish single electronic gateway for market establishment has been praised by all the participants. During the launching ceremony, the "Nepali e-Haat Bazaar" has been declared as a National B2B e-Commerce web site of Nepal to promote trade and market linkages within the country and with the international markets. 
