Ghana gets new interactive registry for data controllers

The Ministry of Communications has launched a new digital registration software for data control and processing business operating in the country as part of efforts to enhance transparency in the handling of data to facilitate the nation’s transformation agenda.

The move according to the Ministry  forms part of efforts to regulate the cyber protection space and effectively monitor all stakeholders in the space.

Speaking at the launch, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful disclosed that the country is getting closer to achieving its aim in digitalizing the economy.

“In our emerging borderless, digitized economy, international cooperation, safe trans-border processing of data and digital identification of people using appropriate tools and technology is critical.

“Ghana is currently one of the few countries to pass the Data Protection Law and establish a Supervisory Authority in Africa and was amongst the first three countries to ratify the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, the Malabo convention,” she added.

Out of the over 60,000 data collection businesses registered at the Register Generals, only about 20,000 have been certified and licensed as data collection institutions.

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful hinted that Ghana will be ahead of its counterpart on the African Continent with regards to protecting data of its citizens, a move that will enhance the agenda of harmonising data for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

“To this end, Ghana will be leading the continent in a quest to harmonize data of businesses operating within the Continental Free trade market,” she said.

The Executive Director of DPC, Patricia Adusei-Poku, on the sidelines on the launch of the software told Citi Business News that “When we last checked, the active incorporated businesses at the Registrar General’s office was about 60,000, but we have only 2,000 registered data controllers approximately. So that should tell you the gap between where we are and where we ought to move to be as a nation.”

She continued that, “The cost implication is massive. Let’s say for argument sake, they were just 50,000 and they all owed a GHS1,000, that will be GHS5 million in total. So that is the amount of money the Commission is losing annually that is limiting our ability to educate the public. So it is a challenge to all of us to cause them to do the right thing.”

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

The launch of the Data Protection Registration and Compliance Software has come within a month where the Communications Ministry is deliberately raising awareness and tightening its efforts in tackling the cybercrime or fraud menace in the country.

The National Cyber Security Awareness Month program is aimed at building capacity and raising awareness on cybercrimes and the need to improve Ghana’s cybersecurity readiness among children, the general public, corporate Ghana and government agencies.

The theme for this year’s program, which started from October 1 and will end on October 31, is “Cybersecurity in the era of COVID-19”.