Khaleej Times, July 1, 2013
TRA introduces rules for UAE certification service providers
/ 1 July 2013
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced that it has
established the policies needed for the licensing and regulation of
Certification Service Providers (CSP) operating in the UAE.
This is in line with the TRA‘s
objective to establish a secure environment for e-commerce and electronic
transactions in the UAE.
The initiative is part of TRAs
overall objective to regulate certification service providers who offer Public
Key Infrastructure (PKI) solutions that help businesses conduct e-commerce
securely on the web. By developing a solid regulatory framework for CSPs, the
TRA aims to create a transparent and structured process by which CSPs can offer
their services by following clear guidelines.
The regulations will be applicable to
all Certification Service Providers operating in the UAE, namely etisalat, Al
Hilal Bank and Global Information Technology (GIT) and to all who provide
electronic attestation services directly or indirectly to the public for
commercial purposes, through electronic records, documents and signatures as
part of electronic transactions and e-commerce.
Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, TRA Acting
Director General, said: “As the e-commerce market in the UAE continues to
experience unprecedented growth due to high levels of internet and mobile device
penetration usage, the TRA is committed to enhancing the quality of services
offered, raising public awareness and facilitating the growth of the e-commerce
sector in the country that accounts for around 60 per cent of total GCC
e-commerce sales. With their unique capacity to verify the authenticity of
users’ digital signatures, Certification Service Providers play a key role in
facilitating growth in this sector. With this in mind, TRA has established the
needed regulatory framework that will help empower online trade in the UAE and
bolster the Nation’s confidence in e-commerce by guaranteeing a trustworthy
experience to online shoppers.”
The TRA will also be hosting the
country’s first Electronic Transaction and Commerce Summit that will take place
in September 2013 in Dubai. The event will gather stakeholders from the
e-commerce industry to discuss existing regulations and guidelines and highlight
any issues concerned with the growth of the e-commerce sector while driving
public trust in electronic transactions.
The UAE is one of the first countries
in the region that has taken the necessary steps for the licensing and
regulation of CSP’s operating in the country with the regulations being
established on the basis of Federal Law No (1) of 2006 on Electronic Commerce
and transactions.
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