2018/19 Budget Communication 2018_2019 BUDGET COMMUNICATION | Page 21

wage bill and purchases of goods and services this fiscal year are projected to be down by $120 million, or 10.3 per cent, from the amounts budgeted. For its part, the in-depth review of expenditure is expected to make a significant and permanent contribution to deficit reduction going forward. Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness The Government has been in discussions with the IDB on a project that we refer to as the "Digital Bahamas Initiative". The main objective of this project is to foster the country’s competitiveness by reducing the costs of conducting business with the Government. This general objective will be accomplished by achieving the following specific objectives: (i) streamlining government procedures and making them available online to reduce the cost of 18