An "E-Token" and a smart card to the officials entitled to sign at the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank.

Raising the capacity of various ministries to forthwith mange all kinds of crises.

Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali, the Minister of Finance said that the government electronic certification authority (Gov.CA) at the Ministry of Finance developed an integrated plan to deploy the electronic certification services to sign official documents in all ministries and public entities, within the framework of activating the e-government services.

Dr. Ghali said that the plan will be first implemented at the Ministry of Finance, as the Ministry's representatives will be provided with "e-Token" includes keycode of government e-signature issued by the certification authority to identify the card-holder and acknowledge that he is the only person vested with government and legal powers and guarantees to e-sign the official documents.

Dr. Ghali added that the plan also includes enhancing modernization and development projects which are being implemented by the MoF., especially the e-payment and collection project and the automation project of the state's general budget, which is now focusing on connecting accounting units in the state's central administration and local administrations with the main payment center in the MoF and the Egyptian government's treasury single account at the Central Bank. Such parties will be provided with government e. signature keycode and government information coding systems.

Dr. Ghali said that such accounting units are responsible for controlling public expenditures approved in the state's general budget; and before the payment of any check or any cash amounts by a ministry, or a local administration unit, or a university, the financial controller in such accounting unit shall verify that payment is made to a project already included in the general budget and within the appropriations thereto allocated.

Dr. Ghali added that the plan also includes enhancing the significant applications and projects of the Central Bank, whereas the bank's officials shall be provided with e. signature keycodes and information coding systems along with preparing an integrated executive plan to spread the awareness of the public keycodes infrastructure knowledge and training in all ministries, to be carried out according to successive schedules.

Dr. Ghali explained that the current systems, policies and strategies in all ministries, government administrations and entities will be developed to the global application level in the area of e. government in order to get the maximum benefit of the Gov. CA. and to achieve connection within government ministries via the internet. This will contribute in raising the capacity of various ministries to manage all kinds of crises forthwith and will provide an electronic and high confidential strategy transport system of government information and decisions, which will be the first of its kind in Egypt, in the Arab region and in the third world.

Dr. Maged Al Gendi, the Minister of Finance's advisor and the executive director of the project said that the risks, which the electronic information sharing faces are the interception, access to the information in the communications via the net and the practice of fraud and deception, deleting, modifying or delaying communications on their way to the real recipient, denial of the rightful sender of the information included in order to relinquish his responsibility.

He added that the certification authority will contribute to protecting public and private institutions from documents and signatures forgery, providing digital identity for each citizen on government communication networks and on the internet, processing cash transfers and signing the checks electronically. Furthermore, activating Gov-CA will promote and ensure the e-trade.

As Dr. Maged El Gendi said that the Gov.CA has a significant role in the effectiveness of government payment and collection system, including salaries and pensions, taxpayers & customs and granting validation certificates to the sites that serve the people, such as the banks. universities and institutes' sites.

The Gov.CA system will enable government institutions to efficiently manage the potential risks related to the electronic transactions, along with the more quickly, developing and launching of new electronic services, due to ensuring the security of transactions.

Regarding the services to be provided through the Gov.CA. by the MOF to ministries and public bodies, Dr. Magid said that such services include the provision and validation of e- signature keycode to the Egyptian government officials, the supply of coding and e- signature applications needed to secure information exchange over government   communication networks, providing each ministry with intranet securing system and P.C. data files securing systems, the training of government officials on how to use Gov. CA and the used applications.

The provision of a central archive for all important processes related to Gov. CA, such information will be available to only the authorized official, in addition to providing a central management system to register validation certificates requests.