ECOWAS Consults On Draft Framework To Govern Digital Economy In The Region
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
As part of wider stakeholder involvement in drafting a new legal and regulatory framework to govern the digital economy in West Africa, major players in the digital economy ecosystem in Sierra Leone have met in the capital city of the country, Freetown, Sierra Leone for a national consultation.
The essence of the meeting, jointly put together by the ECOWAS Commission and the Ministry of Information and Communications of Sierra Leone, was to solicit contributions and feedback on the draft regional regulatory framework for the digital economy being developed by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions.
At the opening ceremony, Programme Officer for Telecommunications and Networks, Mr. Mawuli Amoa, highlighted how the digital economy sector is characterized by a fast pace of innovation and continuous enhancement of existing service offerings.
He stated that the objective of ECOWAS in ICT is to establish a well-secured common digital market, hence the harmonisation of policies and regulations governing the market across the region.
Mr. Amoa, further stated that the approach to regulation of the digital economy in the current era should be collaborative and inclusive, with the involvement of policy makers and regulators in adjacent sector to foster the growth and development of digital services under a fair and enabling environment while at the same time protecting the interests of consumers.
According to him, the ECOWAS Commission is presemtly undertaking the project for the elaboration of a new harmonised legal and regulatory framework to govern the development of digital economy sector in West Africa, which will address the emerging issues in the sector.
In his welcome remarks, the Minister for Information and Communications of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, reiterated the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone to the development of the digital economy sector in the country and the promotion of digital inclusion for all citizens.
He noted that in demonstration of the commitment, Sierra Leone has concluded the domestication of all ECOWAS legal texts in the sector.
Swaray, expressed gratitude to ECOWAS Commission for its support over the years, to Sierra Leone Government’s initiatives in the sector, notably with the enhancement of the country’s cybersecurity capacity, development of cyber security and cybercrime law and capacity building of judiciary and law enforcement official in cybercrime.
He commended the initiative of wider consultations with stakeholders in the project’s execution, an approach which he said is in line with the Government’s own consultative approach for policy and regulatory formulation in the digital economy sector.
Participants at the consultation were drawn from the Ministry of Information and Communications, the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM), National Revenue Authority, National Cybersecurity Coordination Unit, Sierra Leone Postal Services, the Universal Access Development Fund, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Central Bank. Representatives from mobile network operators, Internet Service providers and commercial banks also participated.
It will be recalled that the ECOWAS Commission has recently conducted national consultations on the draft legal and regulatory framework for the digital economy in Liberia and The Gambia.
The feedback from the national consultation exercises in Member States will be consolidated and incorporated in an updated draft which will be presented to the ECOWAS Ministers in charge of Telecommunications/ICT/Digitalisation for their approval, prior to submission to the relevant statutory organ of ECOWAS for its adoption.
