Gov’t Defends NITA Crackdown as Tech Sector Pushback Intensifies

Government has mounted a firm defence of the National Information Technology Agency’s enforcement of registration fees, certification rules and compliance obligations for ICT firms, fintechs and digital service providers, amid growing backlash across Ghana’s technology ecosystem over what critics describe as an aggressive regulatory drive.

At the heart of the dispute are claims by some tech professionals and digital businesses that NITA is attempting to enforce provisions of a proposed bill that has not yet been passed by Parliament.

But the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has dismissed those allegations, insisting the Agency’s actions are fully grounded in existing laws.

“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 wrote in a strongly worded Facebook post.

The controversy has stirred anxiety within the ICT sector, especially among startups, fintech operators and digital service providers concerned about rising compliance costs and the potential impact on innovation and ease of doing business in Ghana’s fast‑growing digital economy.

Sam George rejected suggestions that NITA is acting outside its mandate, describing such claims as “spurious” and accusing some critics of joining “bandwagon trends” without understanding the legal framework underpinning the Agency’s actions.

He cited the National Information Technology Agency Act, 2008 (Act 771), the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772), the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2481), and its 2025 amendment, L.I. 2512, as the legal basis for the current enforcement regime.

The Minister challenged critics to point to any specific NITA action that falls outside the scope of these existing laws.

His comments follow a formal clarification issued by NITA after mounting criticism on social media over its fee structures and registration requirements. The Agency stressed that the regulatory framework predates the proposed NITA Bill currently under consultation and is already backed by matured Legislative Instruments approved by Parliament.

According to NITA, L.I. 2481 already provides for the registration of ICT companies, ICT professionals, fintech entities and e‑commerce providers.

“The suggestion that NITA ‘manufactured tomorrow’s powers today’ ignores the existence of these already operative legal instruments,” the Agency stated.

The standoff has now broadened into a wider debate over regulation, innovation and compliance costs at a time when policymakers are pushing digital transformation while startups remain highly sensitive to additional operational burdens.

Despite the pushback, government appears resolute.

“We have a country to build, and we will ensure enforcement and sanity in our technology space,” Sam George declared.

— Citi Newsroom