“The new strategy will allow everyone to communicate directly and interact with all of the responsible and governmental entities though social and technical communication channels, ensuring the presence of vital elements such as transparency and efficiency in deals with all of the governmental entities,” Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak said in his opening remarks at Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2011.
“In the next few years, more than 70 electronic projects will be implemented with the collaboration of all of the governmental entities in the fields of health, education, culture, administration, economy and other domains, which will contribute in enhancing an electronic cooperation between the governmental entities and the users to provide the best eServices and making it the best choice for everyone. These projects will facilitate various governmental procedures and make them accessible to everyone in order to assist in attracting investments and creating more employment opportunities in the Kingdom of Bahrain through establishing a promising investment environment based on sustainable and competitive elements in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030,” he added.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology inaugurated yesterday at the Isa Cultural Center, the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2011, organized by the eGovernment Authority in collaboration with Bahrain’s Engineer Society, Project Management Institute (Bahrain Branch) and the Bahrain Internet Society, for the 4th consecutive year.
His Highness praised the success of the Bahrain eGovernment Program, especially with its international organizations recognition, such as the United Nations that positioned the Kingdom of Bahrain in position 13 worldwide, 3rd in Asia, and 1st in Middle East in 2010, adding that this success is a result of the government and loyal citizen’s efforts.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed has emphasized that the eGovernment program in the upcoming period will focus on various elaborated aspects such as providing services to citizens through enhancing the eParticipation and Public Involvement in Decision Making, in addition to increase the transparency of Government Processes and Facilitate the Procedures to Support the National Economy, and through advanced smart phone applications, which is recently in process. Another aspect is the creation of the (Open Data Platform) initiative which will allow publishing governmental data in order to promote transparency in government work and support Bahrain’s economy as well as to enhance e-participation through the use of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and etc…by the government sector. It is an initiative to permit the audience, to effectively take part in the decision making and implementing strategies. His Highness also indicated that these initiatives are derived from following international orientations, the United Nation’s recommendations, international specialized organizations and advanced countries in this field.
His Highness has said that the eGovernment programme in the Kingdom of Bahrain comes with a primary objective to make the citizens’ and residents’ lives better and easier through minimizing procedures, providing an added value to all of the services they require. This is mainly through creating radical change in the methods of work in governments and the way it deals with the audience through facilitating various procedures, re-engineering to save energy and costs as well as to offer the best quality of services for the users that the government aiming to serve in the best ways ever.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain has employed all the possible means that ICT provides. It has provided integrated governmental services that complete various life stages for the citizens, the residents, visitors and businessmen. The government’s services were limited to official working hours yet today everyone is capable of interacting with institutes and government authorities through different electronic channels, available for 24 hours through 7 days a week following regulations and standards placed to ensure quality, transparency and interactivity in proceeding with any service.
“In the light of executing the achievements outlined by the eGovernment strategy for (2007-2010), the Kingdom of Bahrain has received more than five international awards from the United Nations and other organizations. It was also able to reach leading positions internationally and regionally in different sectors and electronic channels. In addition, more than 200 services were launched to cover all of the stages vital to individuals and businesses through four contact channels: the eGovernment online portal, the Mobile Gateway, 15eSerives Centers, 35 ekiosks placed all over the Kingdom, and a lately established National Contact Center which provides all of the eServices though one contact phone number.
He congratulated the eGovenment Excellence Award winners considering their achievements as a vital indication to measure quality and efficiency in electronic services as well as to elevate the level of participants in it. His Highness also thanked the forum’s organizers, official sponsors and all of those who have contributed to the success of this event in terms of organization and preparation as well as the eGovernment Authority and all of the employees in various ministries and governmental entities for their efforts in implementing the eGovernment program.
Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Cabinet Affairs in his speech underlined the importance of reaching the end of implementing the previous national eGovernment strategy, and about to announce the new eGovernment national strategy for the years (2011-2014), which aims at moving the Kingdom of Bahrain to a better digital future, through a large number of strategic projects, with adding advanced services.
“The outstanding achievements the Kingdom of Bahrain experienced while implementing the eGovernment strategy for the years 2007-2010, made us look forward to greater achievements, and continue the efforts for a sustainable development for the citizens. This can be achieved, through building an integrated eGovernment, that facilitates the daily work of the citizens and residents, in addition to assure providing a true value in its services, with high level of efficiency, and quality that equals the international standards,” he added.
“The main idea of the new strategy will focus on the concept of (ADVANCE), which reflects the essence of the new Bahrain eGovernment strategy, and what will be provided to the citizens, businessmen, visitors, and governmental entities.
The Chairman of the organizing committee of the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2011, Engineer Abdulmajeed Al Gassab praised the role of the eGovernment by providing comprehensive services that help the citizens and residents to conduct any transaction easily and as fast as possible, which works to build an information society towards etransformation inline with the Bahrain’s Economic Vision.”