Digital Oversight Necessary: Pressing Need for Regulation in the Digital Sphere

Digital Oversight Necessary: Pressing Need for Regulation in the Digital Sphere

Stepping into the future means diving headfirst into the e-verse - and every nation is striving to seize the first-mover advantage or build upon what others have already achieved, avoiding reinventing the wheel. The digital age may render brick-and-mortar schools, courts, offices, and hospitals obsolete as everything morphs into an 'e' version. Countries that delay the process of transitioning their people, government, private sector, businesses, and economies online will be doing a disservice to their digital-native generation.

It's encouraging to witness the Vice-President advocating for the realization of the existing e-government agenda in Ghana. However, solidifying this digital transformation requires institutionalized change. A Digital Authority is needed to drive this transformation with a clear vision of where we want e-Ghana to be in two decades.

Our main e-government agenda revolves around six strategic goals, based on a comprehensive e-government strategic document. This policy was formulated on 14 pillars, intending to develop, deploy, and exploit ICT for administration and service delivery within government and the economy. The e-Ghana project and the e-GIF initiative were part of this ongoing process.

Distinct regulatory bodies oversee various aspects of the digital ecosystem, such as the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772) and the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). However, there seems to be a regulatory gap, especially in the commercial, business, and development aspects. A single Digital Authority can address this issue, regulating and championing the Digital Ghana agenda, while considering aspects involving transactions and commerce, information security, data protection, legal, and technical and technological aspects.

Picture a future with drones delivering groceries, medication, and fast-food, much like owning a car is now. Commercial drones will act like taxis, and cheaper models, like 'trotro' drones, will cater to ordinary citizens. Mechanics will need to learn robotics to service these drones, and schools will have to teach robotics to repair and maintain them. The skies will transform into air traffic, while houses will have 'drone-pads' for landing sites.

This transformation will disrupt current business models, but it will also create new opportunities. The dream of drones might sound far-fetched now, but it falls under the purview of a Digital Authority, ensuring the digital divide for Ghana is minimized. The Data Protection Commission and the Cybersecurity Authority handle specific areas within the digital ecosystem, but a Digital Authority is necessary to create the future digital Ghana.

In conclusion, the future belongs to the digital realm, and Ghana must digitize its economy to keep up. A single Digital Authority is needed to manage the digital transformation and regulate the e-government agenda, bridging the legislative gap and paving the way for young entrepreneurs to kickstart their e-ventures. The author is a Chartered Banker, holding an EMBA (IT Management), an LLB, and an LLM (IT & Telecommunication). You can reach out to him at [email protected], or visit Kofianokye.blogspot.com.

1. The digital age necessitates nations to transition their people, governments, private sectors, businesses, and economies online to stay competitive, avoiding becoming obsolete.
2. The e-government agenda in Ghana, led by the Vice-President, aims to digitalize the administration and service delivery within the government and economy.
3. A clear vision for e-Ghana's future requires a Digital Authority to drive the transformation, based on a comprehensive e-government strategic document with six strategic goals and 14 pillars.
4. A Digital Authority can address the regulatory gap in the commercial, business, and development aspects, managing transactions and commerce, information security, data protection, legal, and technical and technological issues.
5. The future will see the integration of technology in various sectors, such as drones delivering goods and services, requiring educational institutions to teach robotics to service and maintain these drones.
6. This digital transformation will disrupt current business models but also create new opportunities, falling under the purview of a Digital Authority to ensure an equitable digital divide for Ghana.
7. As a Chartered Banker, the author advocates for a single Digital Authority in Ghana to manage the digital transformation and regulate the e-government agenda, empowering young entrepreneurs to initiate their e-ventures.

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