Communications Minister Sam George says four law firms are reviewing the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) Bill, rejecting claims on JoyNews that government drafts digital laws without scrutiny.
The minister insisted his ministry does not write legislation alongside its agencies in isolation. He explained that stakeholder comments first pass through technical agencies, then move to legal experts who weigh the proposals against constitutional and legal requirements before a revised draft emerges.
George named the firms handling that review and said their work includes folding in stakeholder feedback where it strengthens the text. The layered structure, he argued, ensures the legislation meets legal standards while answering concerns raised during public consultations.
He also pushed back on fears that the bill would force all ICT professionals and technology businesses to obtain government licences before operating. Those worries, he said, stem from misreadings of earlier drafts.
According to George, licensing and certification would apply only to firms seeking government contracts, especially those managing sensitive public sector technology infrastructure. Independent software developers, website designers and app creators serving private clients would fall outside the requirement. Certification, he added, protects standards for companies entrusted with critical national digital systems.
The minister further questioned how loosely the term startup is used across Ghana’s technology sector, noting that many firms claim the label without meeting any legal definition. He said some companies operating for nearly two decades still describe themselves as startups.
That gap, he explained, is why government is preparing a separate Innovation and Startup Bill to define qualifying businesses and set out their benefits.
“Who is a startup? What are the benefits of a startup?”
George pointed to Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa as countries with clearer frameworks governing startup ecosystems. Debates about startup protections and incentives, he maintained, belong in the proposed Innovation and Startup Bill rather than the NITA legislation.
