A panel discussion on Business-to-government (B2G) and its impact on business growth was organised by the ICT Knowledge Club at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry office in Sanabis.

The event was attended by several senior officials including Bahrain eGovernment Authority CEO Mohammed Al Qaed, Batelco Bahrain CEO Rashid Abdulla, Tamkeen CEO Mahmood Al Kooheji, Microsoft Bahrain and Oman country manager Tariq Hijazi and Ministry of Industry and Commerce domestic trade assistant under-secretary Hameed Rahma.

The discussion covered topics which involved restrictions facing the private sector to access government electronic services and the role of communication companies in supporting co-operation between the private and public sectors.

During the panel discussion, Al Qaed referred to the vital role of the authority in enhancing the transparency through the automation of government processes such as the e-Tendering system.

The system facilitates the purchasing process from local suppliers as per the indicated requirements without any personal interventions.

The e-Tendering system, which is to be launched in the coming weeks, will add a great value in preparing government entities for the electronic tendering system as per unified standards.

Availability of latest software applications developed by global providers to accelerate and improve online interaction between private and public sectors; the role of Tamkeen in providing training, technical and financial support to leverage the private sector's performance and enable effective online engagement of both sectors as well as the contribution of the Bahrain ICT Suppliers Trade Association were also discussed.

The panel discussion aimed at strengthening and maximising the role of the private sector to maintain a solid base for the Economic Vision 2030 which supports the growth of businesses, enhancement of market positioning and the creation of new jobs.-TradeArabia News Service