Strong e-government policy enhances transparency and efficiency, says Barbados minister

Transparent and efficient government, with improved public services, clear policy and cost savings are the potential outcomes and rewards of a strong e-government policy, said Barbados’s Senior Minister Dame Billie Miller.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day Commonwealth Connects workshop in the capital, Bridgetown, on 3 December 2007, Dame Billie said the workshop provides the opportunity for Caribbean countries to share and discuss their national experiences of e-commerce and e-government with a view to benchmark best practices and to identify future priorities in information and communication technology (ICT).

“I am convinced that the Commonwealth Connects programme is well placed to serve the Caribbean as a catalyst for multi-stakeholder engagement, bringing people together to share ideas and knowledge and to find realistic solutions to the major development challenges our region faces through the innovative use of ICT,” said Dame Billie.

She added that Caribbean states can capitalise on their educated workforce and well-developed telecommunications infrastructure to exploit the benefits of ICT to maximise their competitive advantage.

“In the new knowledge economy, the strategic use of ICT by both public and private sector actors makes size and distance irrelevant. This presents exciting prospects for Caribbean countries in terms of the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government services and the development of niche opportunities for small entrepreneurs in the global marketplace,” stated Dame Billie.

Recognising the importance of ICT for the socio-economic development of Barbados, Dame Billie said her government has drawn up the legislative and administrative framework to facilitate the growth of e-government and e-business. This includes the drafting of an Electronics Transaction Act and a Data Protection Act.

Dame Billie said the two main goals of the Barbados ICT strategy are to develop the country’s human resources that will equip its citizens to remain competitive in the new global economy, and to modernise the operations of the government and business to improve efficiency and expedite service delivery. The government has used ICT to streamline the management of its financial, procurement and payment processes and facilitated trade through the Automated Systems for Customs Data, which aims to reduce the cost of doing business while increasing revenue and trade data collection. She added that a government integrated portal is being developed to serve as an electronic gateway for the provision of e-government services. This is in addition to a project targeted at enhancing private sector investment through the establishment of a 24-hour electronic one-stop-shop facility.

To enhance human resources in the field of ICT, the Senior Minister said the government has introduced the Education Sector Enhancement Programme which has incorporated computer literacy into the school curriculum, while using ICT to enhance teaching methods in the classroom. This is complemented by the Community Technology Programme which provides ICT access to local communities, particularly the economically disadvantaged, through resource centres.

Dame Billie noted the role e-business can play in transforming the traditional relationship between supplier and customer, providing an avenue for Caribbean businesses to flourish in the international marketplace and to gain worldwide brand visibility.

“Human resources, connectivity, branding, logistics and international competition are recognised as areas that need to be addressed through multi-stakeholder involvement, strong partnerships and service support,” said Dame Billie.

Key Links:

• Country Profile: Barbados

Related News:

• Commonwealth Connects