Kathmandu — After six years, the government is once again attempting to enact a law that allows monitoring of citizens’ phone calls and communications. The draft of the ‘National Intelligence and Investigation Bill,’ prepared by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, proposes expanding the jurisdiction of intelligence agencies to include surveillance and monitoring of phones and other communication networks.

A similar attempt was made in 2019 (2076 BS) by the then government but was withdrawn following widespread public opposition. The current government is revisiting this effort.

Article 15 of the proposed bill contains special provisions regarding information collection. It allows the Inspector General of Investigation to order interception and monitoring of communications if deemed necessary to prevent serious harm to the country.

The bill also grants the National Investigation Department read-only access (‘read-only’) to computer databases in other government or public agencies. Officials authorized by the Inspector General can record communications and request assistance from communication service providers to ensure uninterrupted monitoring.

The draft bill will be revised based on public feedback and input from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance before being submitted to the Council of Ministers. The bill will only be presented to Parliament and become law after Cabinet approval and passage by both houses of the federal Parliament.