CAIRO: The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology launched Monday e-signature services in Egypt, facilitating electronic transactions in both governmental and private sector institutions. In a press statement, the ministry said e-signatures are the cornerstone of electronic transactions, either governmental or administrative, as well as trade transactions. Electronic signatures will improve the efficiency of administrative work and the performance level of governmental services, the statement said. It is set to give Egypt a competitive edge within a new global trading system. "Files take months to be transferred and checks take several days, but e-signatures will allow this to happen instantaneously, Sherif Hashem, executive vice president of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), told Daily News Egypt. Hashem explained that they are planning on introducing the service to ID cards as well as separate cards with installed smart chips. He said banks are expected to be the primary users of this service. According to the press statement, three companies obtained the ISO certificate (27001) to secure information: Security and Network Services (SNS), Misr for Central Clearing, Depository & Registry, and Egypt Trust ET (Egyptian Co. For Digital Signature & Information Security SAE). "Now the service is available in 25 governmental institutions and banks only. However, this a great change and I expect more to know about it when companies start advertising it, Hashem said. "E-signature is secured with international certifications, so people can feel safe using it because it prevents forgery. Thirty countries already offer similar services, he added.
