As per regulations announced by the High Council of Cyberspace on Saturday, a National Information Exchange (NIX) system will be established to help facilitate automated and digital information sharing and dissemination between government organizations and the people.
The council meeting was presided by President Hassan Rouhani and Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, president.ir reported.
The president’s office released a statement outlining the broad aspects of the regulations, its scope, and goals. According to the statement, two dozen databases created by government bodies, the judiciary, and Traffic Police will be connected digitally.
All communications between state bodies are to be conducted only through digital channels. Furthermore, the rules call for banning paper communication, stating that people visiting state institutions would not be required to present paper copies of their requests or documents.
For instance, when buying property people must hand in whole stack of ID papers and documents relevant to the real estate. This is while every Iranian has an electronic identification card and an ID number which is printed on the card. Both the number and electronic chip embedded in the card can be used in one stroke of a computer keyboard for viewing the identity of a person through national databases.
State Administrative and Recruitment Organization (ARO) and the ICT Ministry have been given the job of determining and classifying information regularly exchanged between state entities.
A task force will be created to oversee organizations and national bodies’ cooperation with the ARO and ICT Ministry with respect to establishing the NIX.
One Year Deadline
Guidelines are to be issued to determine each state body’s responsibilities in the major undertaking. “One year after the guidelines are issued, all paper communications must end between the executive bodies,” the statement said.
“After the deadline passes sending requests for information via [paper] letters will not be entertained and all inter-agency communications must be conducted through the National Information Exchange (NIX) system.”
Following the implementation of the scheme, any paper document(s) issued by executive bodies will be considered null and void.
Without providing details or examples, the statement indicated that some information exchanges will be excluded.
Requests for data and information will be free for the people and executive agencies must cover costs using their own funds and resources.
In collaboration with the agencies, the Plan and Budget Organization will determine the costs and provide funds to the national bodies.
The government-introduced regulations will be in line with the Sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2016-21).
By law, the council is in charge of charting Iran’s course regarding digital development. It is made up of the sitting president and members of his Cabinet, the judiciary chief, attorney general and representatives from state bodies.
Digital Agenda
Going paperless and digitalizing communication has been on the government agenda for long. Last week the ICT minister said if communication operators and utility companies stop issuing paper bills to customers 14.4 trillion rials ($128 million) could be saved every year.
Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said, “If water, electricity, gas, and communication bills are not issued on paper 14.4 trillion rials ($128 million) would be saved annually. Such unnecessary spending can and should discontinue.”
While sending paper bills costs the treasury 4.4 trillion rials ($128 million), the ICT Ministry budget for the current fiscal (ends next March) is 39 trillion rials ($348 million), the minister complained.
“By stopping unnecessary spending like issuing millions of paper bills every year, companies and the government should use that money for increase spending on development projects.”
As per an agreement between the ICT Ministry and the Telecommunication Company of Iran, which is the only landline communication service provider in the country, the latter will halt issuing paper bills from January.
Establishment of the NIX and digitalizing can help executive agencies reduce high communication costs. It would also be a big step toward a green policy welcomed by environmentalists.
