MANAMA, SEPT. 7 (BNA) -- THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN HAS BECOME ONE OF THE FIRST COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD TO ESTABLISH AN E-GOVERNMENT, THE US BROWN UNIVERSITYS GENERAL POLICIES REPORT REVEALED LAST MONTH.
THE REPORT BASED ITS DECISION ON A STUDY WHICH COVERED 1687 GOVERNMENT SITES IN 198 COUNTRIES AND ACCOMPLISHED LAST JUNE AND JULY AND FOCUSED ON SITES FOR LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL POWERS IN ADDITION TO THE SITES OF DIFFERENT ESTABLISHMENTS SUCH AS CUSTOMS AND ADVANCED INVESTMENT SERVICES IN THE SURVEYED COUNTRIES. THE ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN BASED ON VARIOUS CRITERIA INCLUDING TRANSLATED MATERIAL, VIDEO AND SOUND EXCERPTS, FEES, SAFETY OF PERSONAL DATA AND CREDIT CARD SECRET NUMBERS, AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SITES AND OTHER CRITERIA. CONSEQUENTLY, THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN TOPPED THE G.C.C. AND ARAB COUNTRIES AND SECURED THE 15TH POSITION WORLDWIDE IN TERMS OF READINESS FOR E-GOVERNMENT. ON THIS BASIS, BAHRAIN JUMPED FROM THE 65TH TO THE 15TH POSITION WITHIN A YEAR, SCORING A GRADE OF 50 OUT 100 FOR ITS ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT SERVICES. BAHRAIN'S CONSTANT ADVANCEMENT AND ITS INCREASING READINESS FOR ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT IS A RESULT OF THE GREAT EFFORTS EXERTED BY THE LEADERSHIP TO HELP BAHRAIN STEP STEADILY TOWARDS ACQUIRING AN ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL STATUS. COMMUNICATION AND IT CONSULTANT DR. ALI AL SUFI ATTRIBUTED BAHRAIN'S ADVANCEMENT FROM THE 65TH TO 15TH POSITION IN A SINGLE YEAR TO THREE REASONS: FIRSTLY, THE IMMENSE EFFORTS EXERTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO CONVERT ITSELF TO AN ELECTRONIC ONE IN THREE YEARS AS SCHEDULED. SECONDLY, THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO REINFORCE THE KINGDOM'S POSITION AS A FINANCIAL HUB IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THIRDLY, ITS FREE COMMUNICATION MARKET WHICH OPENED ITS DOORS FOR NEW COMPETITORS WHO BEGAN OFFERING A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNICATION SERVICES. AL SUFI ADDED THAT THE NATIONAL SENSE WAS REMARKABLY INCREASED AMONG THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE REFORM PROJECT IN BAHRAIN TO LEAD TO WIDE-SPREAD ADOPTION OF THE STRATEGY OF THE ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT. A COMMUNICATION AND IT SUPREME OMMITTEE WAS FORMED AND CHAIRED BY DEPUTY PREMIER SHAIKH MOHAMMED BIN MUBARAK AL KHALIFA, WITH MINISTER OF CABINET AFFAIRS SHAIKH AHMED BIN ATIYATALLAH AL KHALIFA AMONG ITS MEMBERS. AMONG THE COMMITTEE'S TASKS IS TO LEAD AND DIRECT THE PROJECTS RECOMMENDED BY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ADVISORY HOUSES WHICH HELPED THE COMMITTEE WITH ITS STRATEGY. AL SUFI ALSO PRAISED THE EFFORTS EXERTED TO ESTABLISH THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION NETWORK, WHICH CONNECTS ABOUT 300 GOVERNMENTAL SITES AND GOVERNS COMMUNICATION WITH THE CENTRAL SITE OF THE ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT TO ENABLE IT OFFER ITS SERVICES TO CITIZENS EXPATRIATES AND INVESTORS. HE ADDED THAT SUCH NETWORK IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT'S INFRASTRUCTURE. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT ABOUT 150 ELECTRONIC SERVICES COULD SOON BE OFFERED BY BAHRAIN'S DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS, AS PART OF A PLAN TO EXTEND, E- GOVERNMENT SERVICES TO ALL CITIZENS AND ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AMONG THE RECENTLY INAUGURATED SERVICES AT BAHRAIN E- GOVERNMENT SITES WERE THE PAYMENT OF WATER AND ELECTRICITY BILLS, TRAFFIC FINES, VISA FEES, UNIVERSITY ADMISSION FEES AND THE AVAILABILITY OF VARIOUS INFORMATION FOR CITIZENS, INVESTORS AND TOURISTS. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE INCREASING FINANCIAL AND INVESTMENT INSTITUTIONS ON ONE HAND AND THE ADVANCEMENT WITNESSED BY TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY ON THE OTHER HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE E-GOVERNMENT IN BAHRAIN BY CONSTANTLY PUSHING FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE E-SERVICES. THE MAIN ROLE, ACCORDING TO CONSULTANTS AND IT EXPERTS, HAS BEEN PLAYED BY THE SUPREME COMMITTEE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS THAT SHOULD PLAY A MORE EFFICIENT ROLE TO ACHIEVE FURTHER GOALS WITHIN THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD SET BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE SUPREME COMMITTEE SHOULD FIND OUT A WAY OF SURPASSING THE COMPLICATED CHALLENGES TO MOVE WITH THE E- GOVERNMENT FORWARD AND ATTAIN ITS GOALS, THEY SAID, POINTING OUT TO THE MERGER OF DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND THE COST OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND UNIFICATION OF IT AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS. THE SUPREME COMMITTEE SHOULD ALSO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT E- GOVERNMENT BENEFITS AND HELP EMBED IT AND INTERNET USE IN THE COMMUNITY IN COOPERATION WITH MICRO AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES IN ADDITION TO THE NEED FOR CONSTANT ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF RENDERED SERVICES AND PREVENTION OF THE POSSIBILITY FOR HACKERS' TAPPING ON CITIZENS' SECRETS AND PERSONAL INFORMATION. PART OF THE E-GOVERNMENT SUCCESS, WAS THE AWARD OBTAINED BY THE ROYAL PROJECT OF THE SMART CARD, ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL INFORMATICS ORGANIZATION (CIO), WHICH WON BEST ASIAN PROJECT AWARD IN THE LARGEST IT, COMMUNICATIONS AND E-GOVERNMENTS EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE, RECENTLY HELD IN NEW DELHI. THIS IS THE SECOND AWARD FOR THE SMART CARD AFTER WINNING THE BEST ARAB PROJECT AWARD IN CAIRO, THE ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE'S READINESS FOR E- GOVERNMENT IS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF INTERNET AND MOBILE PHONE SUBSCRIBERS, THE SIZE OF THE POPULATION, THE ELECTRONIC READINESS OF THE STATE'S INSTITUTIONS AND THE EXISTENCE OF AN ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS AND COMPUTER NETWORK. AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE E- GOVERNMENT IS TO OFFER UTSTANDING SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS VIA THE ELECTRONIC GATE OF THE KINGDOM. ACCORDING TO BAHRAINI EXPERT JASSIM HOSSEIN, THE KINGDOM HAS MADE TOW MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN ONE MONTH BY RANKING 15TH INTERNATIONALLY FOR ITS E-GOVERNMENT READINESS AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF ITS CREDIT RATING TO ' A 'FROM ' A-' BY THE RATINGS AGENCY FITCH. THIS IS AN INDICATION OF THE KINGDOM'S SOUND POLICIES AND THE GROWTH OF ITS NON-OIL SECTOR AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL REFORMS IT WITNESSED, JASSIM ADDED. BAHRAIN'S FIRST PARTICIPATION IN DUBAI GITEX 2000, THE TOP IT EXBITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE SECOND LARGEST IN THE IN THE WORLD, WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EMPHASIZE THE KINGDOM'S IT STATUS, PRESENT ITS GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND EXCHANGE KNOW-HOW WITH OTHER PARTICIPANTS.
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