Infringers of Digital Signature Law will be sanctioned

By Valeria Carrón - Rodrigo Aguirre

After great expectation, the digital signature will become effective in Paraguay as of June 2012.

Paraguayan citizens will be able to stamp their digital signatures in all types of public or private transactions in any country of the world. This system will be cost effective and time saving.

In order to obtain electronic certificates, interested individuals will have to request it at a Certifying Company, showing their Identification Documents. The certificate can be granted through a card, a pen drive, or by downloading a software. It has not yet been determined the entity who will be the Certifying Company in charge of this project.

The costs to obtain digital signatures will oscillate between US$ 40 and US$ 100, and their validity can be granted for one day or up to two years.

In this regard, a modification to the Paraguayan Digital Signature Law has been approved by the legislature (Camara de Diputados) which is the incorporation of sanctions which to be executed against infringers of this law.

Mr. David Ocampos (legislator) explained that law had been put into force pending modifications, so the framework would not be delayed. The latest modification to this law would facilitate electronic transactions which seek the need to implement instruments to pave the way for an e-government. The modifications also approved the autonomy of the Paraguayan Judiciary for the creation of digital signatures.