Bermuda?s standing as a leading e-Commerce jurisdiction got it a place at a recent Caribbean conference in Dominica ? and saw Bermuda?s e-Commerce consultant getting the opportunity to brief the next president of the Dominican Republic.

A Government issued Press statement yesterday said that Latin American and Caribbean nations were now starting to follow the Island?s lead in linking the concept of e-government to public sector reform.

That idea, with details of the Island?s plans to be laid out in an as yet unveiled ?E-Business Action Plan?, was one of several topics discussed at the recent e-business workshop in the Republic of Dominica.

The Ministry of Telecommunications and e-Commerce was invited to participate in the sessions ?as Bermuda is considered to be the leader on e-government in the Caricom area?, the release said.

Government e-Commerce consultant Nigel Hickson (pictured) represented the Island at the conference, which took place last week.

He also got the opportunity to meet with next head of state for the Dominican Republic.

Back in Bermuda, Mr. Hickson ? who presented at the event ? said that in some countries, notably Chile and Brazil, ?e-government programmes are enabling citizens in remote regions to have access to some services for the first time?.

He added: ?It?s exciting to see the possibilities e-business and e-government hold in countries that are less affluent and less developed than Bermuda.?

In his presentation, Mr. Hickson reviewed some of the lessons Bermuda has learned, so far, in delivering e-government and developing the Island?s government portal which is about to enter its second phase. The portal currently hosts informative web sites for all government ministries, agencies and departments. It includes interactive forms as well as contact information, including e-mail addresses.

?People were impressed with the vision Bermuda has set itself, and the excellent progress we have made on connectivity, Internet access, Internet and computers in the classroom, and business use of e-business.

?It was also good to be the only country present that did not have to talk about its anti-corruption strategies,? Mr. Hickson said.

The workshop was hosted by Fundacion Global Democracia Y Desarrollo, a private-sector social issues think tank established by president elect Fernandez, the republic?s president from 1996-2000 and, since May of this year, president-elect.

Mr. Hickson said: ?He is inheriting a country in crisis with 40 per cent of the population living below the poverty line. He is anxious to learn from other countries in the region how to make the most of the opportunities e-business holds for Dominica and its people.? Along with Bermuda, Brazil and Chile, other participants included Columbia, the United Nations and the Inter American Agency for Cooperation and Development.

In the two hour session with Mr. Fernandez and others, Mr. Hickson discussed Bermuda?s e-business strategy, along with its Internet and PC connectivity, laptop/internet schools programme and e-government portal.

Mr. Fernandez said that he hoped for the day when schools in his country could be as connected as those in Bermuda.