Communications Ministry to establish ICT Council

Plans are underway for the Ministry of Communications to establish an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Council, Mr Ato Sarpong, Deputy Minister of Communications has announced.

Speaking at the third Annual General Meeting of the Information Technology Association of Ghana (ITAG), Mr Sarpong said the Council would be made up of experts in the ICT industry and would serve as an advisory board to the Ministry, to fast track the implementation of government’s ICT agenda.

The meeting, on the theme: “Securing our Cyber World”, enabled members of ITAG to discuss key membership issues and how to secure the cyber world.

Mr Sarpong said government would continue to create the congenial atmosphere for the ICT industry to grow, especially as the advancement of the world has been propelled by ICT over the past few decades.

He called on ICT professionals in the country to emulate the shining example of groups like the Ghana Bar Association and the Ghana Medical Association by coming together to form a vibrant organisation.

The Deputy Minister said for businesses to excel today, there is the need for their ICT professionals to improve their efforts, and for an ICT professional to excel, they must have a very high level of integrity, must always make the right decision and must have the ability to combine technology and business ideas.

Mr George Attah-Boateng, the Director General of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), reiterated that NITA would soon register all ICT companies operating in Ghana and all information and technology professionals, as part of efforts to bring sanity into the industry.

Professor Nii Narku Quaynor, ITAG President, said the organization sought to create a network of ICT professionals and promote the use of information technology in Ghana and elsewhere to achieve organizational objectives and goals across businesses.

He urged ITAG members to intensify their membership drive; stating that with time they would be having a huge cadre of ICT professionals.

“Let’s build a formidable base membership body,” he said and urged them to create opportunities for all Ghanaians to enjoy the benefits offered by the advances in information technologies.