An electronic document (an e-Document) is an electronic form of a document with a paper document equivalent legal validity. All the documents that citizens and establishments of entrepreneurs till now were submiting in a paper form, may be made and submited much easier and faster now - in the form of the e-Document (documents can be submited, for example, by an e-mail), which also cost more advantageous solution. Electronic Documents Law (EDL) provides that the state administration and local authorities accept e-Documents from natural persons and legal entities.
The e-Document may contain information and query requests from authorities, applications for permits, certificates, as well as accounting, reporting and statistical reporting. The e-Document has an universal application to perform activities and transactions for citizens, as well as for businesses and state and local authorities. The e-Document, same like a paper document, is being used for the submission of evidence to the competent authorities.
The e-Document has a legal value if:
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it is signed with a secure electronic signature (or an electronic signature, where parties have been agreed in writing for the signing of the e-Document with an electronic signature);
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it is accompanied by a time stamp (in cases specified by EDL);
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it is drawn up in accordance with laws and regulations of documentary requirements. Prerequisites to use e-Documents: a computer and an Internet connection;
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a smart card reader connected to a computer;
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an e-Signature smart card (for a generation of an e-signature);
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an e-Signing and an e-Signature validation software (free of charge).
Remember! If you have decided to send an e-Document by an e-mail, you are advised to add the following text to the email:
In the attachment to this e-mail, I am sending an electronic document signed with a secure electronic signature. To open it, use the Internet applet www.eparaksts.lv. It is for free.
For frequent e-Document review and creation, use the convenient solution - the "e-Signer": http://info.e-me.lv/?page_id=203 - workstation installation.
Following the Cabinet of Ministers 28.06.2005. regulations Nr.473 "The eletronic documents preparation, presentation, storage and circulation of state and municipal institutions and procedures for the electronic circulation of documents between the state and local government authorities or between these institutions and natural persons and legal persons" in Paragraph 17 of the requirements, we ask you to send a notification of receipt of an electronic document within 1 day.
Electronic document file format is *. edoc, or *. pdf (if signed in the *. pdf).
Benefits of an e-Document’s use are:
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it is more convenient - no need to go to the office of institution to submitdocuments; documents can be sent by an e-mail;
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it is cheaper - paper document preparation, transportation and postal costs, as well as time spent in an office of institution, will be more expensive than preparation and transmission costs of an e-Document;
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it is faster – an immediate delivery and a receiption of an e-Document;
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it is available – no need to consider with working hours of institutions; e-Documents can be sent to the authority 24/7;
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documents are not being printed on the paper so a resourse economy is encouraged, plus it does not pollute an environment.
In 2009, the State Regional Development Agency held by The Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government, began to implement the project "Development of integration environment of Public Administration document management systems". The aim of the project is to create a single environment for the e-Document’s movement in a public administration, which will provide a unified, an interoperable, a secure and an automated e-Document circulation between public authorities. To see more (in LV).