Digital signatures crucial as e-commerce expands in VN

The digital signature authentication market is continuing to grow due to high demand, as e-commerce starts to take off across the country.

“As an indispensable tool, the service was sure to boom in the next two years,” said Tran The Hien, Director of the FPT Information System.

Agreeing with Hien, Director of BKIS Telecom Ngo Tuan Anh said many companies had recently expressed an interest in the market because of its potential to attract new customers.

He added that demand would necessitate supply and that most companies recognised the importance of digital signatures in the e-commerce sector.

To date, demand for the new service has increased in a number of fields, especially in the finance and securities sector.

For the purpose of customs and tax alone, thousands of companies need the digital signature authentication service.

According to Do Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Minister of Finance, about 38,000 companies regularly conducted import-export activities and around 30,000 of them said they wanted access to digital signature technology.

Tuan added that about 350,000 companies had a demand for the service purely for tax purposes.

Potential customers also include the 4.8 million people nationwide with their own tax code.

The market has clearly been recognised over the past year, with five companies now certified to supply the service.

Challenges

In order to develop e-commerce from 2011-15, any company wishing to supply the service must become internationally accepted by 2015.

To achieve this will not be easy because the market is new to Viet Nam.

Experts said one challenge for service suppliers was a lack of public understanding about digital signatures and the fact that some companies were not ready to use the service.

“Directors were worried that employees would misuse the signature, so they didn’t want to give them access to it. However, when they were not at the office, directors wouldn’t be able to authorise important decisions which would mean they’d lose control of their companies,” said Hien.

There are also many legal challenges.

Head of the E-commerce and Information Technology Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Hung gave an example of the difficulties in implementing the use of digital signatures in Viet Nam.

Hung said his ministry used digital signatures in emails but the only time the signature was necessary was on confidential documents. However, the law regulates that it is illegal to copy, save or send confidential documents via electronic format so there was no need for the signature, he added.

Despite the challenges, most experts agreed that Viet Nam should draw a road-map for the development of the digital signature authentication service so that domestic companies could utilise it in international e-commerce transactions.

Director of the National Digital Signature Authentication Centre said there were problems because Viet Nam was still in the process of building key public infrastructure for the service.

He added it was a complicated matter as it related to many areas such as legality, technology and finance.

Hieu also affirmed that the target was achievable.

“The Government should sign agreements with other countries so that our companies are admitted to the world of e-commerce. In terms of technology, I think we’re ready to meet global standards,” he added. — VNS

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