Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Sam George has strongly defended the National Information Technology Agency’s (NITA) enforcement of registration fees and compliance requirements for ICT firms, fintech companies and other digital service providers, amid rising backlash from industry players.
The controversy centres on accusations from sections of the tech ecosystem that NITA is attempting to implement provisions of a proposed law that has yet to be approved by Parliament.
However, the Minister has firmly rejected those claims, insisting that the Agency is acting strictly within the bounds of existing legislation.
“The Ministry is simply enforcing existing legislation that has been on our books since 2008, 2023 and 2025. The proposed new legislation has not even been laid before Parliament,” he stated in a Facebook post.
His remarks come as startups, fintech operators and digital entrepreneurs express concern over what they describe as increasing compliance costs and potential barriers to innovation in Ghana’s growing digital economy.
Sam George dismissed allegations that NITA has exceeded its mandate, describing such claims as “spurious” and urging critics to properly understand the legal framework governing the sector.
He referenced key laws including the National Information Technology Agency Act, 2008 (Act 771), the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772), and relevant Legislative Instruments, including L.I. 2481 (2023) and L.I. 2512 (2025), as the basis for the Agency’s enforcement actions.
According to him, these existing legal instruments already empower NITA to regulate ICT firms, fintech operators and digital service providers, making the current enforcement measures lawful.
NITA has also clarified that its regulatory actions predate the ongoing NITA Bill discussions and are grounded in already approved Legislative Instruments, which it says have been properly passed through Parliament.
The Agency further maintains that the current framework already covers registration and compliance obligations for ICT companies, professionals and e-commerce operators.
As tensions grow within the tech ecosystem, the debate has widened into broader concerns about regulation versus innovation in Ghana’s digital economy.
Despite the criticism, government has signalled its determination to continue tightening oversight of the sector.
“We have a country to build, and we will ensure enforcement and sanity in our technology space,” the Minister added.
