Communications Minister Sam George has defended the consultation behind the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) Bill, telling JoyNews that critics raising fresh objections ignored repeated chances to shape the draft.
Speaking on Newsfile, George said stakeholders had several opportunities to review the draft and submit recommendations after it was first published. He argued the process could not be restarted each time a new critic emerged.
“We put it out. People made their inputs. We responded and made changes,” he said, describing how the ministry built mailing lists, weighed submissions and circulated updated versions to those who engaged.
The minister also rejected accusations of secrecy, saying no previous government had opened draft technology legislation to the level of public scrutiny his ministry allowed. He contrasted the approach with earlier laws such as the Cybersecurity Act, which he said gave industry far less visibility.
The bill remains at an early stage. George has separately described the version circulating online as a zero draft, now in its fourth or fifth revision, and confirmed it has not yet reached Cabinet, the Attorney General’s Department or Parliament.
The proposed law has drawn pushback from startups, developers and policy analysts who fear licensing and certification rules could burden the technology sector. NITA has said the fees currently under debate stem from existing legal instruments rather than the pending bill.
