The Committee was told the efforts were being exerted linking Bahrain with the international and GCC network in order to boost Bahrain’s economy through provision of broadband services in addition to supporting all future electronic applications.
Deputy Premier His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who is also chairman of the Higher Informatics and Telecommunications Committee, presided over the committee’s 32nd meeting in Gudaibya Palace and reviewed the all vital aspects of the ICT related issues.
Minister of Cabinet Affairs Kamal bin Ahmed also committee member made a detailed presentation on the third nationwide plan for telecommunications. The committee recommended the formation of a technical team to study the plan and to report to the committee its views and recommendations during its next meeting.
CEO of E-Government Authority Mohammed Al-Qaed also chairman of the board of directors of Gulf Link Company revealed that the company hired 370 employees out of which 296 will provide services to the private sector and 74 to the public sector.
Al-Qaed pointed out that the rate of quality services provided by Gulf Link Company in all sectors reached 90%. The center operates extra telecommunications channels in addition to telephony, SMS, fax and video-conferencing.
The committee listened to a presentation about the GCC e-government ministerial meeting held recently in Riyadh, KSA during which it was decided to form a permanent ministerial committee of the respective ministers of e-government in the GCC countries to supervise the e-government business and to lay down standards and policies for this purpose and cooperation and coordination between national e-government projects in order to attain integration in this area.
The committee also listened to a presentation on workflow in the IT governance committee which held its first meeting and passed a number of resolutions including familiarizing government bodies about the committee’s role, duties and mechanism and activation of electronic maturity program, issuance and follow up of the standards for institutional infrastructures project and the discussion of e-government project in this sector during 2012 in addition to the investment framework project for IT and telecommunications projects.
The meeting reviewed latest developments regarding Bahrain International Forum for E-Government 2012 set to be hosted for the fifth time in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the auspices of Deputy Premier His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa also chairman of the IT and Telecommunications Committee.
A large number of international speakers shall attend the forum from the United Nations, international organizations, GCC, Arab and European countries and international conglomerates. The forum is scheduled to be hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the period 9-12 April 2012.
The committee also reviewed the workflow report for electronic channels and services.
The number of e-government channels has covered 227 services and is expected to reach 237 by the end of the 2011. The number of visitors to the e-government website reached more than 40 million visitors. The number of financial transactions performed through e-government channels reached 435,810 in consideration for a total yield of BD31 million.
The committee endorsed the external financial auditor’s report for E-Government Authority for the year ending in 31st December 2010.