“E-notarization will save about 8 million sheets of paper annually, making notarization greener and more cost-effective,” the ministry pointed out JEDDAH: The Saudi Justice Ministry on Tuesday announced that it has issued more than 163,000 low-risk powers of attorney (PoAs) through its online portal “Najiz” in one month since the launch of its e-services. The e-notarization system was launched on Nov. 18 to provide several services that dispense with paperwork and spare clients the need to visit notarial offices for low-risk PoAs. The ministry also conducted 193,229 verification operations through its various electronic channels. Prior to the launch of the e-notarization service, Justice Minister Waleed Al-Samaani said: “The Saudi Ministry of Justice is continuing its efforts to achieve the objectives of the National Transformation Program 2020 and Vision 2030, which focus on enhancing the user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness of government services.” “The ministry is keen to overhaul and digitize procedures in the legal, enforcement and notarization sectors, a strategic objective that the ministry has given utmost importance,” he added. The ministry revealed eight new e-services in the notarization sector, including digital PoAs, which put an end to paperwork and most of the clients’ visits to notarial offices. Digital PoAs are sent to the clients’ Absher-registered mobile numbers. “E-notarization will save about 8 million sheets of paper annually, making notarization greener and more cost-effective,” the ministry pointed out. One of the new e-services enables clients to inquire about their PoAs and their validity, terminate unwanted ones, and find out about the agencies that have checked the validity of any of their PoAs. Another e-service enables government agencies to verify PoAs online through the “Yesser” program, the universal access number 920025888, the ministry’s portal (www.moj.gov.sa), and its official app. The new system abridges about 70 percent of procedures and directs clients straight to the assigned notary’s office without having to go through the data entry hall. The ministry also announced a new digital mechanism for updating title deeds and obtaining a duplicate title deed, saving 90 percent of the clients’ time. Under the new procedure, clients need only to visit the notarial office once the updated or duplicate title deed is ready. Recently, the ministry also set a time limit of 21 days on the acceptance of rights claims made under domestic labor laws. The time limit relates to labor or domestic labor disputes that are subject to periods of friendly settlement before reaching judicial proceedings. A 21-day time limit was also set for complaints against the General Organization for Social Insurance regarding membership, registration and compensation issues. If a settlement is not reached in that period, the dispute is brought electronically to the labor courts through the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. A five-day reconciliation period applies in cases of domestic workers after a dispute is settled. If there is no reconciliation during that time, the committee has 10 extra days to issue its decision and submit it electronically to the labor court. The ministry recently opened seven labor courts in Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Abha, Dammam, Buraidah and Madinah.