NCA, Data Protection Commission, PCSRC governing boards inaugurated

The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has inaugurated the Governing Boards of the Data Protection Commission, National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory (PCSRC) at a ceremony in Accra.

The Ablekuma West lawmaker swore them in last Monday, October 4, 2021 by leading them to take the oaths of office and secrecy.

NCA

The inauguration was in accordance with the National Communications Authority Act 2008 (Act 769) which gives legal backing to the formation of the Authority and spells out its mandate.

The NCA governing board is made up of Mr. Isaac Emmil Osei-Bonsu, Mr. Joe Anokye, Mr. Kwabena Adu-Boahene, Mr. Alexander Bannerman, Hon. Ama Pomaa Boateng, Mr. Patrick A. Boateng, Dr. Eugene Owusu and Madam Ama A.S. Daaku.

Speaking at the ceremony, Madam Ursula Owusu said NCA “is a very important government institution established to regulate the provision of communications services in the country.

“It is indeed a very sensitive responsibility, and my thanks goes to the previous Board of Directors who contributed immensely towards reshaping the NCA into a very respectable Regulator, equipped with the most modern and state of the art technology to facilitate its work. With their tenure over, I am pleased to inaugurate this new Board as the second term of the President and the NPP Government move into action.

“And in this second term, the President has said on various platforms that he expects institutions to work together with him to deliver on the needs of the Ghanaian. To the new Board, I say Congratulations on your appointment. Your contributions to nation building have certainly caught the attention of His Excellency, the President.”

She added, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the digital transformation agenda of government rests on both ICT and Telecommunications, and our ability to manage the communications sector well enough to ensure reliability of service and instill confidence in the sector. The Nation is therefore entrusting you with a very hefty task as members of the governing body of the Authority to regulate the communications industry in a forward-looking and transparent manner that promotes fair and sustainable competition that translates into optimal service and products for the benefit of the citizenry. Ensuring a thriving communications industry in this post-COVID era is critical for economic recovery as digitisation and the use of technology present a major opportunity for the African continent to get out of the woods, and also aligns with the President’s digitalisation agenda.

“The President is confident in the ability of this carefully selected team to work assiduously to ensure that the Agency is strategically steered in the direction that facilitates the achievement of its goals. With your varying expertise, I expect you to put your collective energy, talents, and efforts to the wheel in the pursuit of the organizational goals of the Authority.”

Data Protection Commission

The Data Protection Commission is established as a body to regulate the processing of personal information, to provide the process to obtain, hold, use, or disclose personal information and for related matters as mandated by the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).

The board is made up of Mrs. Justice Helena-Inkumsah Abban (Retired), Mad. Patricia Adusei-Poku, Mr. Joseph Whittal, Hon. Ama Pomaa Boateng, Mr. Richard Edmund Okyere-Fosu, Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, Mr. Johnson Kgya Owusu, Mr. Michael Komla Kumah Nfodzo, Mad. Eccles Andoh, Hon. John K. Abban Aboah Sanie and one other member pending nomination and approval.

The Minister in her speech said, “The Governments Digitalisation Agenda has increased the use of digital services and online transactions by Ghanaians. The use of these digital platforms exposes everyone to the risk of phishing, scam, identity theft and the exploitation of our personal data for commercial gains. In this vein, there is the need to ensure that the privacy of the individual and personal data is protected.

to promote and encourage a climate of Data Protection Compliance across the country, the Commission is providing a range of support services such as capacity building programs to Data Controllers. These include Certified Data Protection Practitioner Training, conducting Basic Awareness sessions, conducting bespoke training, providing support for registering and online ‘How To’ Guides. The Commission is also collaborating with peer Regulators and other stakeholder institutions to include Data Protection as an eligibility criterion.

“The Commission also successfully launched the upgraded Data Controller registration software replacing the previous pro-bono system which was no longer fit for purpose. The upgraded system has automated the registration system and improved the user experience of data controllers. The new registration system has enabled the arrears module.”

PCSRC

The enactment of the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Act 649 in 2003 has liberalized the sector providing opportunities to the private sector to expand their businesses through technological advancements.

The PCSRC is made up of Mr. Paul Aborah-Boateng, Mad. Hamdaratu Zakaria, Mr. Clifford Bansah, Hon. Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, Prof. Mrs. Olivia Anku-Tsede, Mad. Alice Quarshie and Mrs. Veronica Rita Ama Sackey.

“There is no doubt that the postal network is a critical infrastructure for connecting citizens and businesses with the services they need. This is more evident now than ever as a result of the pre and post Covid-19 pandemic and its ramifications including the lockdowns. The Covid-19 lockdowns have highlighted the importance of delivery networks as enablers of e-commerce during an emergency. The ability to buy goods online and get them delivered in a safe way has meant that people can stay indoors and reduce the spread of the virus, while keeping the economy going. This situation has also contributed to bringing onboard an additional 73 new operators in 2020 as against 33 in 2019. It also caused some of our existing operators to shut down their businesses due to the closure of the airport”.

Madam Ursula added, “Today you are set to tackle some of the thornier issues that the Commission and industry are facing and would be facing in the coming years, from the evolution of technological advancement and E-commerce to the influx of illegal operators. Delivery operators in Ghana are innovating and adapting extremely quickly to the new reality, developing new modes of delivery, such as apps, short codes and rolling out new services, such as grocery delivery. It is therefore imperative that the Commission invests in the requisite technological infrastructure to be able to manage the emerging models of delivery networks and enablers in the country.

“To kick start your work, I would like members to look at the various operational and policy reforms that the Commission requires to strengthen its operations such as digitization of the Commissions operations, review of its strategic plan and Act 649, the scheme of service and conditions of service for staff, among others. This board of Commissioners is practically unchanged with a lot of institutional memory; therefore, I believe you understand the issues and would in no doubt continue to make your depth of experience available to the Commission to enable them transcend the many challenges facing the sector.”