Bahrain's e-transformation achievements, plans reviewed

TDT | Manama

Sixteen of 44 technical initiatives, to be implemented between 2019 and 2022 as part of the Government Action Plan, have been completed. This was confirmed yesterday in the 15th meeting of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communications Technology, held virtually and presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and committee chairman His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.

The 16 initiatives include the development of services and electronic applications, information and communications technology governance, open data, government notices, the transfer towards cloud computing, the national system for appointments, and applications for the protection and security of information, among others.

These contribute to achieving sustainable development through the adoption of modern technologies in various government sectors. In the context of the developments of the strategy of digital economy and artificial intelligence, the committee reviewed a report that included a proposal to cooperate with competent international organisations in this field to benefit from their expertise and experiences in dealing with developed countries.

The Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) will submit a report on the latest developments in this regard within one month. Meanwhile, an iGA report was reviewed during the meeting on the accomplished services, plans and priorities towards a comprehensive transformation in government services.

The transformation is in line with the Cabinet’s decision to assign ministries and government agencies to accelerate the transition to online systems to provide e-services following the achievement of 54 per cent of the 817 public services in more than 30 public and private agencies, which enhances the protection of customers without the need for their physical presence in service centers.

Work is being carried out to complete the electronic transformation in the public prosecution, the health sector and e-payment, in addition to services in the Ministry of Interior, and services related to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in the health, humanitarian and charitable dimensions, including the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.

The committee reviewed the major criteria adopted for the comprehensive electronic transformation, mainly the electronic link between government agencies and the qualifications and experience required to support such services and deal with customers’ exceptional cases.

HH Shaikh Mohammed stressed the importance of coordination among government agencies to complete the plans for government transformation and the preparation of a roadmap for each public entity separately, eventually resulting in a comprehensive electronic transformation. The roadmap should include views on reducing the cost of operating government centres affiliated with those entities.