Three E-commerce Bills designed to jump-start The Bahamas’ “Digital Agenda” were passed in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
The Bills are: The Electronic Communications and Transactions Bill, 2003; the Computer Misuse Bill, and the Data Protection and Privacy of Personal Information Bill.
Debated in the House for nearly a month, the Bills’ primary objectives, according to government spokespersons, are, generally, to ensure e-business in the Bahamas develops in an environment of integrity, and, more specifically, also create a degree of legal certainty necessary to inspire confidence in on-line commercial activity with regard to legal recognition of electronic contracts.
The legislation sets out duties and liabilities of E-commerce service providers and intermediaries such as web hosts and ISPs. It makes it an offence to unlawfully interfere with computers and computer systems and creates framework consistent with international standards on privacy of personal information and the use and disclosure of such information.
When Prime Minister Perry Christie introduced the legislation early this month, he said that for E-commerce to flourish, there must be empowerment to people via E-government.
This, he said, requires a complete transformation of internal and external processes that include data sharing, mobile government, on-line procurement and seamless, ’24/7′ access to government transactions.
Mr Christie anticipated considerable economic gains for the Bahamas in terms of travel, tourism, financial and international business services, delivery and courier services and transshipment.
In a “Policy Statement on Electronic Commerce and the Bahamian Digital Agenda”, dated January, 2003, the Government’s “Action Plan” lists six initiatives vital to accomplishing its objectives.
These include: The establishment of an E-Business Development Office within the Ministry of Finance; The opening up of the Telecommunications Infrastructure, including an acceleration of the privatisation process of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC); Human Resource Development, which will include the education and training of all Bahamians to ensure their effective involvement in the digital economy, from the primary school level up to and including adult education programmes; Legal Issues, ensuring that the necessary legal and regulatory framework is in place; Financial Issues, to remove any impediments to business and financial transactions; and E-Government, which would include “Deployment of the Government Wide Area Network” to link up all Government ministries and related agencies.
It was estimated that by 2005, three-quarters of all web transactions, totaling $200 billion will take place over the air.
In the global arena, the Internet, according to Internet economy indicators, generated an estimated $830 billion in revenues in 2000, a 58 percent increase over 1999.
The House of Assembly was adjourned until Wednesday, March 5, at 10:00 a.m.
By Vanessa C. Rolle, The Nassau Guardian
