‘Let’s commit to data protection implementation’
Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) has asked for support from corporate institutions to partner the Data Protection Commission (DPC) to implement the Data Protection Act as information grows with its attendant opportunities and risks.
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Making a presentation on the perspectives of GCNet on data protection during the 2017 Data Protection Conference, the Deputy Manager for IT Security of GCNet, Mr Roger Akrong, said such support for the DPC was critical to consolidate the data protection and information security regimes to help accelerate growth in the country.
Mr Akrong said corporate Ghana’s support in the implementation of the Data Protection Act would create the enabling environment for all stakeholders in the information economy to build a robust, vibrant IT-driven country.
He further said Ghana should commit to progressive regulation in data protection management since data protection had assumed a central role in the digital and information economy globally.
Mr Akrong stressed that GCNet as a repository of government data was proud to have partnered the commission over the years, adding that his organisation continued to leverage on many international certification regimes, including ISO 27001 for information security management and ISO 9000 for quality management to further ensure security standards and compliance.
ICT and growth
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the President, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, directed all government institutions which had not registered with the DPC to do so as a matter of urgency as part of long-term initiatives by the government to effectively plan the development agenda of the country.
The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said data protection had a huge impact on the growth and development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and reiterated her ministry’s commitment to provide policy direction that creates a balance to facilitate the development and growth of ICT in Ghana.
The Executive Director of the DPC, Mrs Teki Akuetteh-Falconer, announced that her outfit would launch a framework in June this year that would serve as a guideline for the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the Data Protection Act to enhance compliance.
