His Excellency the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mr. Kamal Bin Ahmed announced today that work is well under way to develop the third National Telecommunications Plan for the Kingdom of Bahrain’s telecommunications industry. The plan, which is developed every 3 years, sets out the Government’s policy and strategic direction for the telecommunications sector, which has a direct impact on the uptake of technology and the propagation of advanced information and communications services throughout the Kingdom. “The new plan is going to be forward-looking and is intended to put Bahrain at the forefront of information and communications technology development so that the relevant sectors continue to contribute to the Bahrain economy and society in a way that enables Bahrain’s competitive position in the region to be maintained and enhanced” said HE Mr. Kamal Bin Ahmed. Commenting on the project, HE Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Alamer Chairman of TRA, said “Policy and strategy development for the upcoming plan will be evidence-based, and developed using the most recent market information and trends, which requires strong coordination with key stakeholders”, He went on to say: “The new plan will be shaped in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and the accompanying National Economic Strategy, which further emphasizes the importance of a coordinated approach in developing the plan”.. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has recently signed an agreement with Intercai Mondiale on behalf of the Minister in order to assist with the development of the new plan. The plan is expected to hopefully be completed towards mid-December 2011.