Manama : Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) Deputy Chief Executive of Electronic Transformation, Dr. Zakariya Ahmed AlKhajah, has revealed that the number of the online government transactions exceed 941,000 as per the Q1 eGovernment Channels report for 2023. The results showcased an increase of 16% compared to the same period last year through the different channels including the National Portal (bahrain.bh); the eGovernment Appstore (bahrain.bh/apps); and self-service eKiosks. The Portal received over 5 million visits, showing the highest uptake across all online channels and eServices, in line with the Kingdom’s comprehensive digital transformation and national efforts to enhance the efficiency and quality of government services.
AlKhajah said that iGA continues to implement digital transformation initiatives as per the directives of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), chaired by His Excellency Minister of Interior General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa and in coordination with all government entities. He highlighted the government’s efforts to support digital transformation and provide seamless and enhanced experience to the public by saving their time and efforts.
Dr. Zakariya also highlighted that the digital transformation during Q1 of 2023 which has witnessed a remarkable increase (more than double) for King Fahad Causeway insurance eservice and 46% for online eVisa Services. Additionally, the report showcased an increase in the use of mobile applications which reflected the government investment towards adopting the modern technologies and enhancing the quality of life for citizens and residents in Bahrain in light of the public demand for usage of mobile applications available in the eGovernment Apps Store (bahrain.bh/apps).
Visits to the National Portal increased by 6% in the Q1 of 2023 compared to the same period last year, in which the Residency eServices come at the forefront in terms of the number of visits, followed by Good Conduct Certificate eServices.
Dr. Al Khaja stressed that several factors have contributed to increase in the National Portal usage such as the Government Service Catalogue, which enables users to access information more quickly nothing documentation needed, and unified payment services with eKey login. This is in addition to adding more new services such as Government Documents Verification which allows citizens, residents, business owners and GCC citizens to verify the authenticity of issued government documents. Moreover, the eAuthorization Services, Domestic Worker services provided by the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Golden Residency Visa Services which include cancellation requests, and visa management were among the newly added eServices that made the increase in the usage. The report also showcased an 8% increase in the number of eTransactions completed on the National Portal.
The report also included statistics revealing a growing number of online transactions conducted through eGovernment mobile apps i.e., BD 13.5 million for 280,000 transactions with an increase of 39%. The report also indicated the top apps this quarter Islamiyat by 46% during Ramadan, Sehati with a usage of 50% and Bahrain Legislation app by 600%, which was recently launched to serve the legal sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The increase of the usage was due to the interest of the users in the services available through the apps, as well as the continued process of bringing up-to-date and adding new services. In same context, payment transactions through mobile apps increased remarkable in the Fael Khair eService, which available in Islamiyat app by 200%.
