Technology consultant, Derek Laryea, has raised concerns over the potential impact of the proposed NITA Bill on Ghana’s burgeoning digital sector.

He warned that certain provisions may stifle innovation and entrepreneurship among young tech professionals.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr Laryea addressed growing backlash against the bill, which seeks to expand the powers of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) from coordinating public sector ICT development to functioning as a broader regulator of Ghana’s digital ecosystem.

“In the interest of raising money for the regulator now—which will, because it is going to be an authority… we talked about NITA going to charge 1% of topline gross revenue for ICT businesses and companies—that is what took the young people by storm,” Mr Laryea said on Saturday, May 30.

He explained that the Ghanaian tech sector is driven largely by experimentation and the efforts of young entrepreneurs seeking to establish startups and attract funding.

“This industry is an industry where there are so many people in the space, and it has driven a lot by experimentation. I always say that when it comes to tech, you see a lot of young people, they are enthused, and a lot of them are in the experimentation stage, trying to start up something, trying to raise funding. Digital entrepreneurship is a very, very wild-goose chase,” he added.

While Mr Laryea acknowledged the importance of regulation, he cautioned against measures that are overly expansive, arguing that such policies could hinder innovation.

“Nobody is against regulation. I think the focus for us is effective regulation, not expansive regulation,” he said, noting that the bill also contains positive provisions.