Bahrain’s revenues from eServices exceeded BD200 million ($532 million) during the first half of 2021, said local reports on Tuesday, August 17.
This was an increase of 257 percent compared to the same period last year, the reports quoted the country’s Information & eGovernment Authority or iGA as saying.
The results, announced in an H1 2021 report, reflect the role that eServices play in the country.
The number of financial transactions carried out through different electronic channels in the first half of this year exceeded 1.6 million, double the number during the same period last year, said the local reports.
This, the reports said, indicate a high level of trust in the quality of services provided.
Technologies deployed in carrying out these tasks have contributed to the quality of government performance, they added.
More than 1.1 million financial transactions were carried out via the national portal bahrain.bh, an increase of 76 percent compared to the same period of last year.
eServices amount generated through the portal were approximately BD188 million (around $500 million), more than double compared to H1 2020.
The top ePayment services used via the portal were Electricity Deposit Payment Service, Covid-19 Test Fees, Private Notary fees, and Passport Renewals fees.
There was also an increase in transactions carried out via smart device apps, which exceeded 390,000, a 92 percent spike compared to H1 2020.
The amounts generated from these apps was over BD20 million (around $53 million), a 145 percent increase.
The reports quoted iGA Acting Chief Executive Zakareya Ahmed AlKhajah as saying that digital transformation and Information and Communication Technology or ICT initiatives are given the highest priority by the Kingdom’s senior leadership.
AlKhajah said the iGA was continuing its efforts towards the complete digitization of government offerings, and creating more transparency.