Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers decided to promote Document Authentication and Registration Office (DARO) to an agency.

Director of the newly promoted Document Authentication and Registration Agency (DARA), Meressa Gebreyohanes, explained the promotion would help to restructure the Agency’s management system and reform its work process. The restructure had created opportunity to render fast, quality, transparent and reasonable service, he added.

According to the Director, the Agency is now vested with the power to set out national standard for document authentication and registration. In addition to this it is obligated to form a central information database which will fill the gap witnessed in reporting and information.

Other than services of notarizing documents, the Agency had been granted to suspend documents that are not notarized in the appropriate manner. Such was aimed at reducing the damage and cost resulting from illegal authentication and registration, Meressa explained.

The Council of Ministers has also set out new ways to notarize documents without providing witness. The legal requirement to have witnesses has been lifted for certain matters. As per the new rule, witnesses are needed only for the authentication and registration of collateral, sale and transfer of immoveable property and depositing wills.

However, if one of the contracting parties seeks the existence of witness, such shall be applied then.

Source: Walta Information Center