Legislative Process Will Not Be Altered - Samuel Nartey George Defends NITA Bill

Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George has defended the proposed National Information Technology Agency Bill, dismissing criticisms that it lacks sufficient details on investment structures and funding arrangements.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, the Minister explained that concerns raised by some stakeholders in the technology sector stem from a misunderstanding of how legislation is developed in Ghana.

According to him, a substantive bill is designed to establish the legal framework and policy direction of a proposed law, while operational and implementation details are addressed later through a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) after parliamentary approval.

Mr George stressed that matters such as funding sources, investment mechanisms and implementation procedures are not ordinarily included in the parent legislation. Instead, those specifics are outlined in subsidiary regulations that follow the passage of the bill.

“The bill defines what government intends to do, while the Legislative Instrument explains how those objectives will be implemented,” he noted.

The Minister's comments come amid ongoing discussions within Ghana’s technology ecosystem, where some industry players, entrepreneurs and digital rights advocates have called for greater clarity on compliance requirements, regulatory oversight and the potential impact of the proposed law on the country's digital economy.

Despite acknowledging concerns from the sector, Mr George maintained that the government would not depart from established legislative procedures to accommodate demands for implementation details to be inserted into the bill itself.

He assured stakeholders that engagement with industry players will continue as deliberations on the proposed legislation progress through Parliament.