A draft bill that will make electronic Negarit Gazeta (Gazette) legal is tabled to the parliament.
The draft proclamation to ‘provide for electronic transaction’ that aims to develop digital economy and help improve the capability of the technology and expand the job creation in the sector has stated that the electronic Negarit Gazette will be considered equally acceptable as the printed paper gazette.
Article 36 sub article one of the draft proclamation states that the Federal Electronic Negarit Gazeta, a Federal Law Electronic Gazette published under the umbrella of the House of Peoples’ Representatives is established.
The draft proclamation that accepts article 2 of Federal Negarit Gazeta Establishment no. 3/95 has added some new features in the draft.
Article 36 sub article 2/A states that all laws of the federal government shall be published in the Federal Electronic Negarit Gazeta.
The same article sub article 3 also states that the publication date of any law under Federal Electronic Negarit Gazeta shall be considered as a date of publication of the law.
Sub article 4 added that if there differences occurred in publication date between the printed version (Federal Negarit Gazeta) and the electronic one it will be applicable based on the prior publication date of any of two versions.
Legal experts stated that the draft proclamation may help to accelerate the effectiveness of laws that were supposed to be waiting for several weeks for print that is crucial to apply the proclamations that the parliament ratified.
The proclamation that targets to undertake electronic transaction and digital business operation has also allowed the government to provide electronic government services besides the rational paper system.
The preamble of the proclamation stated that using electronic commerce positively affects market opportunities, thereby empowering citizens to be included in the economy and also enable Ethiopia to be part of the digital era.
It added that deploying electronic government service in support of good governance is essential for building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Marriage, divorce, court verdict, wills, fixed assets trading and power of attorney are not included in the proclamation framework or not included as commerce or electronic government services, according to the introduction of the proclamation.