eServices soar as online payments reach BD57m
MORE than 800,000 government transactions were processed between April and August this year, with online payments exceeding BD57 million.
Digital transformation efforts are proceeding at breakneck speed, as reflected by the quarterly eServices statistics report, which recorded a 20-fold surge in government mobile application usage available in the eGovernment App, compared with the same five-month period last year.
Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) deputy chief executive of electronic transformation Dr Zakareya Ahmed Al Khajah said digital transformation projects across government entities were among the iGA’s highest priorities.
”The iGA deploys all available resources towards achieving digital transformation goals and equipping government organisations with technologies that help better serve the public,” he said.
The BeAware Bahrain app has been a huge hit with one million downloads recorded since its launch in March.
“The public’s general experience with technology also played a role in the success of the applications, which allow transactions to be completed easily and conveniently, without the need to visit service centres. A host of new services were recently added, contributing to the increased usage,” Dr Al Khajah said.
The report revealed that services offered through mobile apps were used nearly 60 million times, including more than 134,000 financial transactions valued at more than BD6m.
The app which saw the highest usage ‘Islamiyat’, which witnessed a 257 per cent spike due to the Zakat Service and the addition of ‘Fa’el Khair’ charity service.
The ‘Wejhaty’ app, which provides Foreign Affairs Ministry notifications to Bahrainis abroad, recorded a 227pc growth over the pandemic period.
Meanwhile, the ‘Sehati’ app recorded a 179pc jump in usage due to the addition of a medicine delivery service by Salmaniya Medical Complex.
A total of 31 eServices were developed and launched from February. Statistics extracted from the National Portal, bahrain.bh showed strong demand for the ‘Corona Affected Registration service’ launched last May in co-operation with the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) which received 37,000 visits in just three months.
The ‘VAT Bill Payment service’, launched in co-operation with the National Bureau for Revenue last June, processed more than 1,400 financial transactions.
Demand also increased for services offered by the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry and the Education Ministry.
Lease Contract services recorded a 666pc surge in payments and a 330pc jump in Payment of Court Execution Ruling during the same period.
Dr Al Khajah also announced that a suite of new eServices for ministerial departments were on the way.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/872132/eServices-soar-as-online-payments-reach-BD57m
