Published January 3, 2021, 5:00 AM Government agencies and local government units (LGUs) will now honor the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT)’s digital and electronic signatures for permits and licenses. Last week, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and Commission on Audit (CoA) confirmed the Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) digital and electronic signatures may be used for government permits and licenses. “The future of government services will all be online,” says ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica. “Digital signature technology should be embraced and adopted to enable the complete online performance of government services in our agencies,” he explained. Furthermore, COA’s affirmation on the validity and acceptability of these digital solutions for government services would allow agencies to confidently and decisively proceed with their automation programs, Belgica stressed.