Egypt’s Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait has announced that there is a presidential mandate to strengthen the financial governance in the “Digital Egypt” project.
The mandate comes in accordance with the latest international standards and experiences to ensure utmost accuracy and security of electronic government transactions and financial operations, through electronic signature codes.
This is being undertaken in a way that contributes to laying the foundations for the rational management of public money. It falls in line with efforts to maximise digital capabilities and optimal use of technology in the sustainable modernisation of automated financial systems.
Maait said that efforts are being made to proceed with modernising and automating all sectors and agencies at the Ministry of Finance.
There is also a national project to develop the tax administration and customs administration systems that will: simplify and digitise procedures; strengthen governance; facilitate internal and external trade; raise the efficiency of tax collection; stimulate investment; and increase economic growth rates.
Maait said that the Ministry of Finance’s “governmental electronic certification authority” which it is currently developing according to the latest international standards. It is also taking place in a manner consistent with the gradual transition to a “digital Egypt”.
The minister added, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on Sunday, that 51,000 electronic signature certificates have been issued to the government sector from 2009 until now, which are renewed every three years.
He noted that during the coming period, electronic signature certificates will be issued to 52,000 employees of the state’s administrative apparatus, before they move to work in the new administrative capital.
Mohamed Al-Badri, Head of the Governmental Electronic Certification Authority, said they provide many services to ministries and government agencies.
This includes integrating between the electronic signature and government digital applications, as it issues electronic signature certificates. It also supplies the application of encryption and electronic signatures needed to secure the exchange of information on government communication networks.
The authority additionally provides information files on personal computers, alongside providing training to individuals on how to use government electronic signature certificates. This comes in addition to providing technical advice and work experience in the field of government e-signature services.
Maait explained that the cabinet sessions are documented and secured by the authority’s services as well as the electronic payment and collection processes at the Ministry of Finance.
He added that the “electronic certification” contributes to providing government agencies with the “electronic stamp” service that provides a documented and secured central archive of electronic government transactions.
This takes place in a way that helps increase the ministries’ ability to manage crises in real time, and strategically transfer information and government decisions in a highly electronic manner.
Maait pointed out that the “electronic certification” contributes to protecting government transactions from any forgery of documents or falsification of signatures. This is because it relies on high-confidential hybrid encryption systems, and is not restricted to the size of the information contained in the document, as any letters or files can be signed electronically, whether audio, images, or video files or correspondence.
