In line with the digitization of various services in Lebanese administration procedures, Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji announced Tuesday that his ministry too would start digitizing the certification of documents to streamline the process helping prevent corruption.  During a ceremony held to inaugurate the fully renovated Foreign Affairs certification department in Beirut — overhauled during the past six months — Rajji stated that modernizing these systems was "urgent." Notably, he said, this part of the ministry is "the main administration connecting the ministry to citizens," by allowing them to have their official Lebanese documents authenticated so they can be recognized abroad. According to a statement from the ministry, the inauguration took place in the presence of ambassadors and diplomats following a tour of the premises led by Rajji.  He said this administration previously operated under "disastrous conditions" due to several factors, including lack of equipment maintenance, the financial crisis, the Beirut port explosion just a few streets down from the ministry, and issues of corruption, including bribery and document forgery. Before the section was closed down — and shortly after Rajji took office — he had made a surprise visit to the building, during which he openly criticized the way the department was functioning.  The system through which procedures can now be carried out "resembles those used in banks, as is the case with advanced administrations, and it prevents intermediaries from affecting the process," said the foreign minister, emphasizing that this "integrated digital system" is based on "some of the highest technological standards." Requests are now processed "in less than a minute," he added, highlighting that each file "now includes a digital code allowing any Lebanese administration or embassy abroad to immediately verify the authenticity of the certified document." Applications, he said, can also be submitted through LibanPost thanks to the digitization of procedures. “Thanks to this system, we have put an end to nearly 99 percent of illegal operations through intermediaries.”  Additional offices where citizens can have their documents certified by the Foreign Affairs Ministry will soon open in other major cities such as Zahle, Tripoli and Saida, the minister also announced.  Rajji also announced that nearly 100,000 expatriates have registered abroad for the upcoming legislative elections in May. He said this number is “acceptable,” though he would have hoped it to be “higher,” just two days before the registration deadline. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: L'Orient Today