Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie (left) speaking at the symposium. Seated (second left) is William Tevie and other dignitaries
Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie has called for the enactment of new telecommunications regulations and the amendment of old ones in order to meet the growing Information Communication Technology (ICT) needs of inhabitants of rural areas in Ghana.
Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie made the call on Monday in Accra at the opening ceremony of the 20th anniversary symposium of NCA.
Stakeholders and leaders in the world of information and communication technologies (ICT) from countries like US, Nigeria, Benin, Peru, Australia, among others, attended the opening ceremony, which took place at the La Palm Beach Hotel.
The top challenges facing the NCA are a growing technology gap between urban and rural communities and outdated regulations that have pained ICT companies, according to Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie.
The main objective of the symposium was therefore to collaborate on ways the NCA could keep its regulations up to date with changing trends in ICT to address the industry’s challenges.
According to Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie, “It is unacceptable that many rural communities in Ghana lack reliable, affordable access to ICT.”
“For a developing country such as Ghana, the ICT road is very important, as it fills in the gaps for our rural communities where we lack relevant infrastructure such as the needed number of medical staff, teachers, banking facilities and other businesses,” he said.
“Through relevant policies and strategies, the NCA can be empowered to regulate communication between medical personnel in the rural areas and the urban areas,” he said.
Mr Baffoe-Bonnie also pointed out that some ICT companies have expressed frustration over NCA regulations that have caused them to lose profits.
“Rightly so they (ICT companies) are complaining of loss of revenue and at the same time consumers are overjoyed with the opportunities these services provide them.”
He said that the NCA is responsible for finding a balance between the needs of companies and the ability of customers to afford and have access to their services.
“In all of this, the regulator cannot be overemphasized, as we will have to ensure that all stakeholders, especially the investors and the end users of the communications services, are fairly treated through appropriate regulatory interventions,” he said.
The symposium, which runs until Tuesday evening, will see speeches from other regulators and industry leaders from countries like Peru, United Kingdom, Nigeria and Australia, as well as representatives from the International Telecommunications Union and Tigo, one of Ghana’s main telecommunication companies.
Mr Baffoe-Bonnie said that such international collaboration will ensure that NCA regulations remain consistent with global standards.
NCA Director General, William Tevie said that such technologies are increasingly essential towards national prosperity.
BY Derek Maiolo & Melvin Tarlue