(Business in Cameroon) - Data gathered from the Cameroonian IT and Telecoms Agency ANTIC reveal notable advances in the use of digital signature in the country.

According to the institution managed by Ebot Ebot Enaw (Photo), between 2014 and 2019, the number of published documents using electronic signatures in Cameroon went from 2 to 200 and no fraudulent document has been detected. However, in a recent study, the national institute for statistics indicated that electronic signature needed further publicity in the country since most of the potential users have little knowledge of it.

Let’s note that digital signature is a mechanism that guarantees the integrity of an electronic document and authenticates the author. It is like the manual signature of a hard document. In Cameroon, it was operationalized via a decree issued on February 27, 2019, by the prime minister. This decree sets the modalities for declarations and preliminary authorizations. It also sets the requirements for the obtention of approval certificates for the importation, exportation as well for the use of cryptographic systems. On May 10, 2013, it was complemented by a joint decree of the ministries of finance and telecommunications. This joint decree sets the fees and payment modalities for the authentication of documents and contributions to the fight against cyber criminality.

S.A.