Work hard to promote govt’s digital agenda–Minister

The reconstituted governing boards of three institutions under the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation have been inaugurated in Accra with a call on them to work hard to promote the digital agenda of the government.

The institutions are Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), National Information and Technology Agency (NITA) and the Ghana Domain Name Registry (GDNR).

The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful who made the call when she inaugurated the boards for the three organisations,  said the government was committed to employing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for the transformation of the economy as part of the digital Ghana agenda.

She urged the board members to come out with innovate ideas to deepen digital penetration and promote cyber security and safety for the citizens and the state.

Chaired by Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, the GIFEC board has other members including the Acting Administrator of GIFEC, Mr Prince Ofosu Sefah, Madam Olivia Okailey Quartey, Mrs Cynthia Morrison, Mr Alexander Yaw Arphul, Mr Emmanuel Adjei, Mr William Tetteh, Mrs Geta Striggner-Quartey and Mr Emmanuel Antwi.

The NITA Board chaired by Dr Kwabena Addo Atuah with members composed of the Director-General of NITA, Mr Richard Edmund Okyere-Fosu, Mr Gerard Nana Kwakwa Osei-Tutu, Mr Issah Yahaya, Mrs Mauida A. S Acheampong Wilson, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Ms Sheila Y.N Minkah-Premo and Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng.

Chaired by Rev Dr Nanayaa Tina Owusu-Prempeh, the GDNR has other members as Nana Kofi Asafu-Aidoo, Mr Andrew Ayitey Okoe Bulley, Dr Francis Boateng Agyenim, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Vance Baba Gariba, Mr Luca Yikimpa Chigabatia, Professor Daniels Obeng-fosu, Mr Isaac Feve Ayiku and Estelle Akofio-Sowah.

Inaugurating the GIFEC Board, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said the widespread use of Voice over  Internet Protocols (VoIP), Over the Top (OTT) services and other modes of communication were impacting negatively on the revenue stream of the main telecommunications providers who principally fund the organisation with the one per cent contributions of voice revenue.

In view of this, the Minister said it was imperative for the board to explore alternative financing mechanisms or to take a second look at the law to ensure that GIFEC was capitalised enough to play its role as enshrined in the law.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE