Parliamentary C'ttee to meet ICT players

Ho, July 4, GNA - The Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications is to resume a series of forums where players in the Information, Communication Technology (ICT) sector would constantly be engaged to resolve their difference.

One of such forums would take place very soon to re-ignite the ICT debate, which was suspended some years ago.

Mr Akwasi Afrifa, the chairman of the committee, said issues such as tax holidays, strengthening the National Communication Authority (NCA) and social responsibilities of Internet service providers. The Committee met Ghana Internet Service Providers Association at Ho to discuss the challenges and prospects of ICT in Ghana.

Mr Africa said Ghana stood to gain a lot from a well-knit ICT environment adding that the country had to put a lot of her abilities and resources to educate and inform its citizens well in an "ICT era". Issues that emerged out of the interaction included the seemingly weak monitoring and sanctioning mechanism of the NCA. The cost of doing the ICT business in Ghana and the high cost of ICT tools like computers.

Other issues included the issue of voice over Internet protocol, which is currently illegal in Ghana and the need for the more reliable national backbone to facilitate smooth implementation of the ICT policy