Starting with the first of January 2012, the Information Society Agency of the Republic of Srpska will begin the contracts with ministries, administrations and administration organizations on the introduction of electronic signature as a personal signature and seal replacement. This way, administrative and other affairs in the executive government hierarchy, will be executed electronically, with reference to possibility for electronic documents to have a legal influence, whether it is about electronic mail or a document that came out from computer programs for text elaboration.
At the presentation of electronic signature, Chairman of the Government of the RS, Aleksandar Džombić has pointed out that the benefit from electronic signature will be directed towards citizens or all physical and legal persons. “Today’s day is one more proof that the Government of the RS has timely recognized the significance of applying the information-communication technologies without which business and other activities would be inconceivable in 21st century”, Džombić has pointed out.
He has said that the informatization of whole society depends on business subjects who would be able to invest in technology of electronic signature, which would be used by physical and other legal persons, therefore he has invited all the potential investors, according to the Law on Electronic Signature of the RS, to address the Ministry of Science and Technology by asking for the information related to the execution of these affairs.
Minister of Science and Technology of the RS, Jasmin Komić has said that the electronic signature introduction in the republic government bodies has been stipulated by the Law on Electronic Signature of the RS, and reminded that the software and hardware infrastructure for this has been procured in two years, with 500.000 KM allocated from the Developmental Program of the RS. “Introduction of electronic signature will enable an undisturbed and safe flow of electronic documents and further development of electronic services, which will be used by government bodies in their communication with the business environment and with citizens. It will also contribute to electronic business, because the electronic signature unambiguously identifies a document signatory”, Komić has said. He has pointed out that the electronic signature introduction will in future result in a total elimination of paper form in administrative and other affairs.
Director of the ISA of the RS, Srđan Rajčević has said that the electronic signature is much safer from the personal signature and a paper form. He has pointed out that the ISA, when speaking of personnel and technical aspects, is totally equipped and ready to begin, through a certified body, with the electronic signature introduction in republic government bodies.
The “E government” Development Strategy of the RS has been adopted three years ago, and the pilot project of the electronic signature introduction presented in 2008, when the then Prime Minister of the RS, Milorad Dodik has placed his first electronic signature at one administrative document.
The electronic signature introduction is one of the EU demands because electronic signature is in a significant usage in the EU Member States. (Srna)