POLICY STATEMENTS

The Government of The Bahamas holds the view that information and communications technologies are fundamental to the sustainable growth and development of the Bahamian economy across all sectors. Having regard to this, the Government has set as a long-term, broad-based objective, the transformation of the Bahamian economy to a digitalone as a means of generating viable opportunities for Bahamians to participate in the globaleconomy. The realisation of such opportunities will come about through the pervasive use of the Internet to engage in activities such as e-commerce, e-learning, e-health, e-government services and certain niche markets within the supply chain

STRATEGIC PLAN

Better Public Service Through E-Government

According to the Bahamas 2011/12 Budget, the Government will continue the e-Government Initiative in 2011/2012, as another thrust in the strategy to modernize the Public Service and improve services to citizens, residents and visitors. When the initial components are launched in July of this year, there will be:

􀂾 a new Department of Information Technology;

􀂾 a centralized infrastructure for delivery of government

services online;

􀂾 a revamped government website with a new look and feel, a

service catalogue, and new and repackaged content; and

􀂾 seven online government services including:

• application for new business licences;

• the payment of annual business licence taxes;

• the payment of annual real property tax;

• the payment of fix penalty notices;

• renewal of drivers’ licences;

• vendor payment inquiries; and

• service-wide customer service.

The prime responsibility of the Department of Information Technology (DIT) will be driving The Bahamas’ e-Government agenda. It will also be charged with controlling the information technology budget; managing the Data Centre and information technology assets; ensuring disaster recovery and ICT business continuity in government; providing ICT training and capacity development for public servants; and providing ICT support and solutions for government service delivery with a “whole-of-government” approach.

Digital Divide
The Government of the Bahamas has developed a detailed ICT Strategy articulated in a document entitled:Policy statement on electronic commerce and the Bahamian digital agenda. January 2003. The document details an action plan and proposes institutional arrangements in respect of e-business, the telecommunications infrastructure, legal, financial, content and human resource development issues, and e-government.

• :Ministry of Finance. Data Processing Unit.
• Ministry of Works and Utilities (Telecommunications regulation)

NEWS

e-GOVERNMENT

The government is committed to the expansion of its wide area network connecting of all government agencies, accelerating the development of online processes to facilitate business. The Government will also place as priority the coordination of regulatory policy among various Government entities that will promote transition to a digital economy; upgrade infrastructure for the delivery of government information including converting public information to electronic form; and continue work on the expansion and enhancement of the Government portal and website.

ENABLING LEGISLATIONS

PUBLICATIONS/DOCUMENTS

 Telecommunication Policy and Network Development
ITU. CASE STUDY OF THE CHANGING INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT: The Bahamas, Final Report, February 1998.
This section presents an overview of the telecommunications sector in the Bahamas, the government’s policy and the industry’s degree of development. 2.1 Telecommunications sector policy and regulation 2.1.1 Current regulatory framework

Telecommunications in the Bahamas began in 1892 with the connection of the first submarine cable from Florida in the United States, at what is still known as Cable Beach. The first manual exchange was installed in 1906; thus, international communication preceded domestic telephone service by some 12 years. Regulation and control of services came under the state Telegraph and Telephone Department (later Telecommunications Department), until the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1966. This created a state-owned corporation, Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation or BaTelCo, which still operates as a quasi-public monopoly in most services today.