The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) has issued new licenses for local companies to provide e-signature services. The licenses, which will be awarded for up to three companies, will allow companies to provide e-signature certificates, e-seal, and time stamp services for both individuals and businesses.
 
The statement of work will be available at ITIDA premises in Smart Village, from February 24  to March 9. Bidders are to closely follow the general and financial regulations and conditions stipulated by the statement of work for registration. For its part, ITIDA obligates awarded entities with all the technical conditions and obligations provided in Law no. 15 of 2004 and the executive regulations implementing it.
 
Issuing the new licenses come as part of the efforts led by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and ITIDA to develop the ICT infrastructure and improve the quality of digital services. This also enhances the role of e-signature in boosting the efficiency of administrative work, improving the quality of governmental services, and adding to Egypt’s global competitiveness and digital readiness.
 
Promoting the use of e-signature comes as a response to the fast development witnessed in the local IT sector and the resulting increased reliance on digital services and electronic transactions among individuals and across the different state sectors.
 
According to ITIDA, applicants must be local companies operating in Egypt, with fulfilling all the conditions and guarantees provided by Law no. 15 of 2004 and the executive regulations implementing it. Applicants should submit all the necessary and required documents.
 
Moreover, ITIDA is planning to host a series of Q&A sessions to answer applicants’ queries. After the deadline for bid submission, ITIDA will start reviewing and evaluating all bids through a committee of specialists and experts, with results to be officially announced later on.
 
ITIDA is committed to award licenses in a period not exceeding 60 days from the date of submission, and after the required documents are received, unless ITIDA furtherly extends such period.
 
The license costs EGP three million and lasts for three years, starting from the date of the operation permit and the issuance of the license from the Egyptian Root Certificate Authority (Root CA), subject to renewal for another similar period or periods, per ITIDA decision.
 
Law no. 15 of 2004 regulates and monitors e-signature in Egypt, with the aim to support the digital transformation and leverage IT tools and their applications in e-signature.
 
The executive regulations implementing the Law were amended under the Minister of Communications and Information Technology’s Decision no. 361 of 2020, to accelerate the digital transformation and the State’s strategy that aims to make governmental services available through a digital platform powered by the latest technologies.

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