Egypt's prosecutor-general announced on Sunday the launch of a new online mechanism, known as the unified online petition system, which allows citizens or their agents to deliver their petitions via the official website of the Egyptian public prosecution in return for fees to be paid online.

The step comes in light of putting the policy of digital transformation into effect, a statement released by the Egyptian prosecutor-general's office read.

Egypt is paying special attention to digital transformation. It has allocated EGP 12.7 billion ($797 million) for gradual digital transformation in the FY 2020/21 budget, according to Finance Minister Mohamed Maait.

The ambitious plan targets the digitisation of all government services countrywide.

The new electronic service allows concerned parties or their agents inside or outside the country to remotely submit their petitions, complaints, and reports without any need to visit the prosecution headquarters in the country, the statement added.

The statement added that the experimental operation of the new system has decreased the average period needed to send petitions to the concerned prosecution to no more than four hours instead of two weeks via the traditional manner.

An electronic program linking the office of the general prosecution and other prosecutions nationwide has been developed to circulate the online petitions.

"This will guarantee the achievement of speedy and effective justice," the statement said.

Under the new mechanism, the submitters can follow their requests via the official website of the public prosecution or they can receive mobile phone texts messages and emails from the public prosecution.

The prosecution has dedicated a department for technical support which can be accessed through a dedicated email address on [email protected] or via the designated 0111175595 line on WhatsApp.