No more free internet – Ursula to MMDA

Company News from Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Source: Starrfm.com.gh

2019-04-16

Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has notified all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA) that the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) will not be providing Internet services to them. only for a fee.

Established in 2008, NITA has focused so far on deploying and managing the government's IT infrastructure.

As a result, the outstanding debt owed by MMDA amounts to 13 million GH ¢.

Unashamed by the changing situation, Ms. Owusu-Ekuful criticized the MMDA for being heavily indebted to the agency, saying, "I have news for you (MMDA ). Pay your debts. "

Ms. Owusu-Ekuful continued, "NITA will provide you with enhanced services for a fee and you have to provide for the payment of these services in your budgets, just as you provide other public services for which guess what, the data is also useful as water. and electricity.

"No self-respecting organization can function effectively in a modern workplace without access to the Internet. Most of you quickly pay for the services you get from private Internet service providers. Do the same thing for NITA.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said this Monday at the launch of the industry forum in Accra.

She said that 10 years after the adoption of the National Law on Information Technology (Law 771) and the Law on Electronic Transactions (Law 772), no regulation has been adopted to give effect.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful therefore badured that the government is currently preparing the necessary regulations to give effect to "these laws in light of the increasing digitization of public services in Ghana".

She stated that she was confident that NITA could fulfill its mandate if it received the required support. It is a necessary and important institution in the government's digitization program and has a clearly defined role for the future.

Ms Owusu-Ekuful, from the Ministry of Communications, said she was currently working with the Council to restructure and strengthen the agency. "We intend to reduce the duplication and waste that has characterized the supply of ICT services in government ministries, departments and agencies because no one has exercised oversight. in this sector, "she said.

NITA, she said, will define the minimum IT standards that all MMDAs must comply with and establish the necessary compliance mechanisms, as no agency will procure software, hardware or IT without reference to NITA. and you will have to ask for respect. advice before doing so.

"We are working with the Ministry of Finance, the Public Procurement Agency and the Auditor General to ensure that these regulations are enforced. Until the capacity of the national data center is exhausted, no MMDA will create its own data center. There is plenty of space available to host all the servers you need and it can better secure our data than you currently do.

"These measures are not implemented on a whim," she said.