Manama, Jan. 18 (BNA): Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, chaired here today the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology.
The Interior Minister asserted the continuation of developing IT government services as part of the comprehensive development process, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and in line with the directive of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
After approving the minutes of the previous meeting, the committee reviewed topics on the agenda, including the digital transformation accomplishments of the Information and e-Government Authority in 2022. The authority had made remarkable outcomes due to the ongoing follow-up of the Cabinet, led by HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
The panel reviewed a report showcasing the positive digital transformation outcomes by providing 600 e-services through all channels, including 50 services developed in 2022. A total of 3.7 million e-applications were processed last year as part of efforts to provide comprehensive and high-quality e-services.
In this context, the Interior Minister hailed the cooperation between the authority and all ministries and the government bodies reflected in the developed government services, procedures and transactions.
During the meeting, the committee discussed the primary services, developed applications and new government systems that the authority would launch this year in cooperation with the concerned government organisations. The services include the launch of an updated version of the BeAware app. The update includes new facilities and e-services, such as digital government documents, allowing users to show electronic copies of their official documents like ID, passport, birth certificate, driving license, car ownership and medical appointments.
After deliberations, the committee approved the launch of the updated version. The Interior Minister directed to follow regulative and legal mechanisms to accept and use e-documents by government and private organisations.
After that, the committee was briefed about the National Platform Project for Government Payments. It is a unified e-system that collects financial dues for all ministries and government institutions through multiple electronic channels and includes new features and services.
The committee followed up on various topics, including the efforts of the authority to activate the e-payment through Apple Pay for various provided services, the United Nations e-Government Report, the development of Bahrain’s digital economy strategy and the government service centre evaluation guide.
At the end of the meeting, the Interior Minister thanked the members for their coordination efforts to develop government services for citizens and residents.
WHQ