Addy

Dear @NITAGhana The questions and answers provided in your response comes off a bit as a deflection of the main concerns. Below are our concerns and would be very beneficial if answers can be provided. A twitter space won’t be a bad idea for digital natives 😊. 1️⃣ Article 46 states that no person shall be appointed as an Information and Communications Technology professional in a public or private institution unless certified by the Authority. What specific national problem is this provision trying to solve that existing university degrees, industry certifications, and employer hiring standards have failed to solve? 2️⃣ Under Article 46, why should a private startup hiring a software engineer require state certification before employment? Does NITA believe private companies are incapable of assessing technical competence on their own? 3️⃣ If a globally recognized engineer from companies like Google, Microsoft, or Amazon relocates to Ghana, would they legally be unable to work until certified by NITA? 4️⃣ Article 46 gives NITA power to determine the criteria and procedure for certification. Why does the Bill not define the minimum criteria directly in the legislation itself, considering the broad powers being granted? 5️⃣ Can NITA point to any major digital economy such as Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Singapore etc. where all Information and Communications Technology professionals in both private and public sectors require mandatory government certification before employment? 6️⃣ The Bill appears to centralize approval authority within NITA. How does NITA plan to avoid creating a bottleneck where innovation moves at the speed of regulatory approval rather than the speed of technology? 7️⃣ If a university student builds a small application, an artificial intelligence model, or an e-commerce website from their bedroom, at what point do they become subject to certification or regulatory approval under this Bill? 8️⃣ The Bill introduces penalties including fines and possible imprisonment for non-compliance. Why was a punitive approach chosen for a sector historically driven by openness, experimentation, and low barriers to entry? 9️⃣. Does NITA see software engineering as equivalent to professions like medicine or law where licensing protects life and safety? If so, which categories of Information and Communications Technology work does NITA consider dangerous enough to justify state licensing? 🔟 Could Article 46 unintentionally encourage companies to relocate talent, outsource development abroad, or avoid hiring locally certified professionals due to compliance uncertainty? Has NITA conducted an economic impact assessment on innovation, startup growth, foreign investment, and youth employment?