The Data Protection Commission under the auspices of the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation (MoCD) has put together week-long activities in commemoration of the globally recognised Data Protection Day which falls on the 28th January.
The opening ceremony of Data Protection Week was held at the KNUST in Kumasi.
The Executive Director of the Commission, Madam Patricia Adusei Poku, who read a speech on behalf of the Sector Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, stated that this year will see the enforcement of the Data Protection Act, particularly on the side of Compliance putting all non-compliant organisations under the radar.
She urged all business owners to register with the Commission to avoid being put on the active list of non-compliant institutions awaiting prosecution.
She further noted that the Commission had put together a 3 to 5-year strategy document to give Ghana a real-time framework for Data Governance under the Data Protection Act 2012 Act 843 to fit Ghana’s agenda to build a safe digitized space.
As part of efforts to extend Data Protection services to other part of country, she said plans were underway to establish an office in the Ashanti Region.
The Guest Speaker, Dr. Mrs Rosemary Coffie, a Senior Lecturer at the KNUST School of Business, commented on the efforts of adding Data Protection to the school’s curriculum to build knowledge at the early stages.
She also emphasised that lots of preparations were underway to see it happen.
Other activities scheduled for the Weeklong National awareness activities fronted by the Data Protection activities include free sectoral-based webinars for the following sectors: health, academia, security & finance and a free in-person session with CEO’s over breakfast on the 31st of January at the Lancaster Accra (formerly Golden Tulip Hotel).
The Commission entreats all business owners to join in the activities to understand the Data Protection Act and its implications in their daily business activities.
The Ceremony drew the attention of different sectors such as health, academia, finance and the security sector.
The Cyber Security Authority, National Communication Authority and Ghana’s National Data Centre (NITA) were also in attendance.
