The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) in partnership with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has begun a three (3)-day workshop to review the new legal and regulatory framework that would govern the Digital Economy in Electronic Communications in West Africa.

The Deputy Minister, Ms. Ama Pomaa-Boateng (MP) who delivered the opening remarks yesterday on behalf of the Sector Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP), said that, Ghana had been very active in the development of the draft legal and regulatory framework and “we believe that this workshop will further provide the avenue for all to make inputs to finalize the documents for implementation within the sub-Region”.

She said it was important for stakeholders to note that the digital transformation of all sectors of the economy would ensure the availability of services and accessibility to citizens, hence, the digital economy that was created must therefore be governed by legal and regulatory measures in order to have secured platforms, enforce standards as well as protect the wealth generated.

A statement read on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission by the Programme Officer of Telecommunicationa and Networks, Mr. Mawuli Amoa, stated that, due to the importance of innovations and services of the economy, it was imperative that policymakers and regulators develop an approach to regulations that would foster the growth and developments of the difference services under a fair and enabling environment whiles at the same time protecting the interests of consumers.

According to him, it was against this background that the ECOWAS Commission started collaborations in 2019 with the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) to jointly undertake the elaboration of a new legal and regulatory framework to govern the development of the digital economy sector in West Africa. The framework, he said was expected to address the emerging issues in the sector for greater benefits for ECOWAS citizens and businesses.

He was therefore hopeful that the workshop would provide the opportunity for participants to objectively reviewed the draft documents by sharing their perspectives of the various sectors they govern, and, to ensure that the new framework would be conducive and complementary to their aspirations for the digital economy, so that its application would contribute materially towards the growth of the digital economy in Ghana and the continent as a whole.

The three-day event is being attended by all the relevant stakeholders including key actors in ICT industry, policymaker, MDA, Academia, CSOs and among other.