ICT industry bill goes through Second Reading

Accra, NOV. 3, GNA - Two bills that would regulate Information Communication Technology (ICT) operations in the country were taken through Second Reading in Parliament on Monday, where the merits and principles of the bills were discussed. The first bill, the National Information Technology Agency Bill seeks to establish an agency to regulate ICT for accelerated development. A parliamentary report read on the floor of the House said the establishment of the agency would ensure that there was an implementation body to see to the development of ICT and to encourage high standards and integrity in the industry. It said the bill was linked to other bills such as the National Communications Authority bill and the Electronic Transactions Bill to provide a holistic environment for the rapid development of the ICT sector. The Electronic Transactions Bill, the second bill, seeks to provide for the regulation of electronic communications and broadcasting services.

The bill, when passed into law, would facilitate the use of electronic media, prevent cyber offences and discourage the use of paper work while promoting electronic communications to speed up private and government businesses.

Some of the clauses of the bill empower law enforcements agents, in the course of the execution of court warrants, to seize a computer, electronic record, programme, information, document or any thing they reasonable believe is evidence that an offence under the Act has been committed.