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National Telecom Policy and Regulatory
workshop opens
Accra, Nov. 26, Ghanadot/GNA – Dr. Benjamin Aggrey-Ntim,
Minister of Communications on Monday stressed the need for
Telecommunication Regulators to consider not only new
approaches to regulate the sector, but also consider the
convergence of Telecommunications, Broadcasting and
Information Technology into a Multimedia Industry.
"Even though this workshop would concentrate on
Telecommunications Policy and Regulation, you should have at
the back of your minds that technological convergence is
diminishing such regulatory distinctions between
Telecommunications, Broadcasting and the Information
Technology industries," he said.
Dr. Aggrey-Ntim, was opening a five-day National Workshop
for Telecommunications Experts from the West African
sub-region to address and share ideas on regulatory issues
and challenges affecting the industry.
Participants from Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, The Gambia,
Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda and Ghana are attending the
workshop organised by the West Africa Telecommunication
Regulators Assembly (WATRA) and the National Communication
Authority (NCA), Ghana.
The workshop on the theme: "Changing Landscape of Regulation
in Africa: Challenges and Capacity Demands" is being
sponsored by NetTel@Africa, a Network for capacity building
and knowledge exchange in ICT policy, regulation
application.
The Minister said in the increasingly complex environment,
the policy makers and the regulatory authorities were
expected to be futurists in thinking, with the 'roadmap' and
directions needed to stay ahead and navigate affairs of the
sector.
Dr. Aggrey-Ntim said, the high-level representation at the
workshop should encouraged the participants to deliberate on
issues that would help provide long lasting solutions to the
challenges confronting the communications industry while
building strong networking bonds between themselves.
He, therefore, urged the regulators to promote universal
access to communication technologies in the sub-region, show
interest in protection of the rights of consumers and
citizens and assurance of safeguard and redress.
"As regulators within the sub-region, I advise you to
familiarize yourselves with the regional and sub-regional
initiatives being promoted to harmonize ICT policies,
regulations and laws so as to facilitate regional
integration and enhance the attraction of our countries for
greater investments.
"It is in this regard that we should pursue our
infrastructure development in a harmonious manner that would
grant our citizens the ease of communication and mobility,"
he said.
Dr Aggrey-Ntim said that would be facilitated if the
countries were able to develop the enabling regulations and
common legislation across the networks and jurisdictions.
Mr. Nnamdi Nwokike, WATRA Secretariat, said WATRA was
established in 2004 to address the present realities of the
telecommunications industry in the sub-region while
focussing on the need for West Africa to evolve a harmonized
regulatory identity to boost investment and
investor-confidence.
WATRA has 14 ECOWAS member countries as signatories and
headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria.
Member countries were Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivore,
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali,
Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Mr Bernard Forson Jnr., Director General, NCA and Chairman
of WATRA said the role of regulators were very important in
the development of strong, competitive and socially
responsive communications industries.
He, therefore, called for the full support of member
governments to build capacities in investment areas and
harmonized the negative areas of the sector to achieve
results.
GNA
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