WORLD BANK APPROVES US$7.2 MILLION FOR REGIONAL E-GOVERNMENT INTEGRATION PROGRAM

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2008 – The World Bank Board of Directors today approved three zero-interest credits totaling US$7.2 million for the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada and St. Lucia to implement an Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) regional e-government integration program.

"This project reflects the commitment of the OECS countries towards sub-regional cooperation, particularly in the application of new technologies for public sector modernization,” said Yvonne Tsikata, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean. “By taking advantage of economies of scale, a regionally integrated e-government program can enhance growth by reducing the cost of doing business and improving the efficiency, quality and transparency of public services.”

The OECS E-Government for Regional Integration Program will help harmonize regional e-government frameworks and applications by automating and pooling resources across the region, resulting in time- and cost-savings for governments, businesses and private citizens.

Specifically, the program will support the following activities:

1. Coordinate national and regional e-government processes, as well as operational information and communications technologies (ICT) platforms and frameworks. This component will expand Public Administration services by helping to connect regional and national policy, strategy, legislation and related legal and regulatory frameworks.

2. Improve key e-government systems by focusing on web-based front-end systems for service delivery and system interconnection, including:

• Public Financial Management to integrate existing budgeting, accounting and reporting systems and develop a web-based public information system to provide easily understandable information on government finances.
• Tax Administration to develop an on-line registration and electronic tax filing subsystem to interface with the tax management system.
• Customs to create a regional customs information sharing network within the context of the upcoming OECS Economic Union.
• Government Procurement to create a regional electronic procurement platform that will initially allow for the online publication of notices and contract awards, while eventually moving to a transactional system for competitive tendering.
• Health and Other Social and Productive Sectors to implement a regional pilot project in health management information systems.

The program is open to other OECS countries, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

The three US$2.4 million zero-interest credits from the International Development Association (IDA) are repayable in 35 years, including a 10-year grace period.