Sam George defends NITA’s registration fees and regulatory reforms
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has defended the National Information Technology Agency’s (NITA) enforcement of registration fees, certification requirements, and compliance obligations for ICT firms, fintechs, and digital service providers, amid growing concerns from stakeholders in Ghana’s technology sector.
His comments come in response to criticism that the Agency is allegedly implementing provisions of a proposed law that has not yet been passed by Parliament.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, May 24, 2026, the Minister dismissed those claims, insisting that NITA’s actions are grounded in existing legislation already in force.
“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.
He described the allegations against NITA as “spurious,” accusing some critics of spreading misinformation without fully understanding the legal framework governing the Agency’s operations.
According to him, the enforcement measures are supported by 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 the 2025 amendment, L.I. 2512.
Mr. George challenged critics to point to any specific action by NITA that falls outside the scope of these existing laws.
His comments follow a clarification from the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), which responded to public backlash over its registration requirements and fee structures.
NITA said the current regulatory framework predates the proposed NITA Bill, which is still undergoing stakeholder consultation, and is already backed by Legislative Instruments passed by Parliament.
“The suggestion that NITA ‘manufactured tomorrow’s powers today’ ignores the existence of these already operative legal instruments,” the Agency stated.
Despite concerns raised by some industry players, the government maintains that it is committed to strengthening regulatory oversight in the digital sector.
“We have a country to build, and we will ensure enforcement and sanity in our technology space,” the Minister said.
The issue has sparked debate among startups, fintech companies, and digital service providers, many of whom argue that rising compliance costs could affect innovation and ease of doing business in Ghana’s growing digital economy.
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