A new website portal designed to improve access to information and services has been launched by the Government.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, was joined by members of the in-house portal services team within the Department of Information and Digital Technology who led the changes.

The site — www2.gov.bm — is live and will eventually fully replace the existing www.gov.bm platform after a period of public feedback.

Mr Rabain said: “This new portal is about improving how people interact with their government.

“For many years, we recognised that government information could be difficult to find.

“This new platform changes that by bringing services, news and official information together in one place, organised around how people actually search.

“It’s designed to be simpler, faster and more intuitive.”

He said the platform includes a “smart search feature” which helps users find what they need quickly and efficiently.

“It is also fully optimised for mobile services and built to meet the accessibility standards, ensuring that all members of our community, including people who are visually impaired, can access information with ease,” the minister said.

Mr Rabain added that the portal was designed with privacy as a priority.

The platform does not rely on third parties, meaning that government data remains secure and under its control.

Asked whether the system is more secure than that which was the target of a cyberattack in September of 2023, Mr Rabain responded: “All of government is more secure.

“We have taken the lessons learnt from what happened on September 20 in that particular year and I can tell, when I do visit IDT, that the services have been stepped up, more things have been put in place to catch any potential anomalies early and we will continue to monitor the system as we have been doing for the past couple of years.”

Mr Rabain said the portal team designed and developed the platform using modern tools including AI-assisted coding to support the process.

“The redevelopment of the gov.bm portal was one of the several initiatives identified through the Government’s 100-day accelerator programme that challenged the idea that government projects have to take years to complete.”

Mr Rabain said that by using the in-house team, costly software and licensing fee expenses were avoided.

The existing website and the new portal will run in parallel for a period to make sure that there is no disruption to services.

Mr Rabain encouraged residents to visit the new portal and provide feedback that will help to inform any changes that may be required.

Mr Rabain added: “Digital transformation is not just about introducing new technology, it is about improving how government operates, how services are delivered and how we meet the expectations of the public in a modern world.

“The launch of the new gov.bm portal is one important part of a broader digital transformation programme that is focused on creating more accessible, efficient and citizen-centred government services.”