Government claims it is well on its way to taking Bermuda into the technological age with the launch of its new website.

Premier Alex Scott said the new site, or Government e-portal ? which cost up to $700,000 to develop ? was demonstration of a commitment Government had to being accessible.

Although the new portal (www.gov.bm) was said yesterday to offer much in the way of information on various Government departments and services, the techonolgy firm who led building of the site, SBi, said it had been designed to eventually allow transactions such eventually allow transactions such as the relicensing of vehicles and work permit applications.

Mr. Scott added that strict measures had been taken to ensure that all the latest data protection was also be in place to protect users once the site became transactional.

He said that eventually it would no longer be necessary to queue up in Government?s offices, but help would be just a mouse click away.

Telecommunications and E-Commerce Minister Renee Webb said: ?The launch of the portal today is a crucial step for the Ministry in our objective of positioning Bermuda as a jurisdiction of choice for e-business. It clearly shows the determination we have to use e-business technologies to improve the lives of all of us in Bermuda,? she said.

She added that aside from the information you might expect to find on the site, you could also easily access ferry and bus timetables as well as weather forecasts through the site.

Ms Webb said the site?s development had cost between $600,000 and $700,000. No exact date was given for when the site would be ready for transactions, for example, the relicensing of vehicles.

Although the redevelopment of Government?s web site ? which was said to bring a number of different websites into one ?supersite? ? cost a pretty penny, Government e-commerce consultant Nigel Hickson said it would lead to cost savings.

Mr. Hickson said that in the past each Government Ministry or department had individually developed the content and design of their own online sites with Island technology companies. But now he said one network had been created for all of Government to use.

Mr. Hickson said that each department would be responsible for the content on their section of the site but that maintenance was now an easy task that could be done in house and at great cost savings to Government.