The Minister for Communication, Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has moved to ease public worry over the proposed National Information Technology Authority (NITA) Bill, stressing that the version circulating is only an early draft with no legal standing.
Speaking at a stakeholder session in Accra on Tuesday, May 26, the Minister said claims that government has already passed or is rolling out the bill are false.
“That is so far away from the fact and the truth,” he said, noting the document is a “zero draft” — the very first step in lawmaking.Sam George disclosed that the bill has gone through multiple reviews with legal teams, yet has not received his final sign-off.
“The fifth iteration has still not even been approved by the ministry,” he said.He added that the bill is not part of the 10 Cabinet memos currently being handled by his ministry, stressing it has not been sent to Cabinet for review.
The Minister outlined the lawmaking steps required for any bill to take effect, saying it must move through the Ministry, Cabinet, the Attorney-General’s Department and Parliament for line-by-line scrutiny before passage. On current frameworks, Mr George cited Acts 771 and 772, enacted in 2008, which regulate Ghana’s ICT space.
He called the laws forward-thinking then, noting he had already started his tech career when they were passed.Still, he admitted the sector has changed greatly over the last 18 years, leaving parts of the current laws outdated or poorly enforced, which calls for updates.He explained that once finalised, the NITA Bill will upgrade the National Information Technology Agency into a full regulator with authority to license ICT firms, accredit professionals, define digital standards and oversee state tech procurement.
The draft also proposes an ICT tribunal to settle disputes, plus sanctions for fraud, illegal operations and data breaches.
