Engineering and architecture professionals will be able to safely, legally and easily process the signing of all technical documentation and construction plans, thanks to the implementation of the “Qualified Electronic Signature”, a project carried out by the Public Registry of Panama and the Technical Board of Engineering and Architecture (JTIA) and is based on Decree No. 684 of October 2013, which regulates Law 52 of 2008 and Law 82 of 2012.
The Qualified Electronic Signature is a technological solution that adds to a cryptographic device, which allows automatic legal value to be given to electronic documents, by protecting the identity of the data, authenticating the signatories.
For the JTIA, with this technology at the engineering level, it will be possible to use it for plan procedures, calculation memory, expert reports, works progress accounts, among other procedures, which will follow a security parameter from the database of the Public Registry and the Technical Board, entity in charge of granting the suitability to engineers and architects in the country.
The procedure that must be followed by professionals who wish to use the “Qualified Electronic Signature” is to present a certificate of suitability, a copy of the identity card, email and proof of payment, at the offices of the National Directorate of Electronic Signature; For its part, the entity will grant a personalized card with a security pin, which is the digital instrument that must be inserted in the reader connected to the computer to be able to carry out the electronic signature, it will generate an alphanumeric code which can be verified by through the validators of the Public Registry.
Meanwhile, the Technical Board is responsible for validating the suitability of each professional from its database, which must be updated by each member, this will be done by means of a QR code, which must be downloaded from the website, using the pin that appears on the card that certifies him as a suitable professional.
The electronic signature works with cryptographic algorithms that guarantee the identity of the signatory and the integrity of the information, in addition, the personal data is validated by the Electoral Court, while the suitability certification is verified by the JTIA.
It is estimated that more than 25,000 professionals, including engineers, architects, technicians, who due to their professional nature have the right to stamp or sign, and those who, due to their trade, have to stamp plans, such as plumbers, will be able to access the Qualified Electronic Signature.
Among the advantages granted by a Qualified Electronic Signature is the non-printing of documents and support for the zero paper campaign; a signing procedure can be carried out from anywhere in the world, just by having access to the Internet; The issue of forgery of documents and identity will be reduced. Currently in the JTIA there are complaints of people who violate Law 15 of 1959 and supplant the identity of true engineering and architecture professionals.
Additionally, each one of the authorities that have to do with the approval, registration and verification of plans may apply to this modality to speed up the procedures.
