Technology consultant Derek Laryea says much of the public alarm over Ghana’s NITA Bill stems from an outdated draft, with the most contentious provisions since revised or removed.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews, Laryea said worries about mandatory licensing of information and communications technology (ICT) professionals and a proposed one percent levy on company turnover were drawn from an earlier version that has now changed. “The way people were reading it was not accurate,” he said.
According to him, recent discussions with government officials clarified that licensing under the National Information Technology Authority (NITA) Bill would apply only to companies dealing directly with the state, not to individual developers or independent startups. He added that some of the most criticised clauses had already been dropped or substantially adjusted after stakeholder engagement.
That account matches recent developments. Following a Ministry of Communication consultation in late May, stakeholders confirmed the one percent gross revenue levy had been removed from the current draft, while officials said the licensing framework now targets firms providing ICT services to government entities and state authorities rather than the wider sector.
Laryea cautioned, however, that regulators must tread carefully, warning that heavy-handed rules could choke a sector still built on trial and error. “This industry is driven by experimentation,” he said, noting that many young developers work in small teams or informal settings before scaling. While he accepted the need for oversight, he stressed that regulation should not become a barrier to entry for startups.
The bill has drawn sharp scrutiny, with policy groups such as the YAFO Institute earlier warning it could burden emerging tech businesses. With an updated version reportedly before Cabinet, critics say key questions about its final scope remain unanswered.
