Accra, Jan 31, - Data Protection
Commission has urged Chief Executive Officers to invest in building the
capacity of their Data Protection Supervisors to acquire knowledge and support
in data management protection.
The Commission said the training
would enable the Supervisors to understand and assess the risk of the company
and be assisted by the Commission to address issues related to data protection.
Ms Patricia Poku, the Executive
Director of the Commission in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at a
breakfast meeting for CEOs of organisations said the Data Protection Act, 2012
(Act 843) required every individual or organisation that processes personal
information to register with the Commission.
She said all individuals who give
out their personal information do so at their own risk if the information given
to an institution or individual had not registered with the Commission in
accordance with the Act.
Ms Poku admonished CEOs to
register with the Commission to position the company as an accountable and
responsible institution and as well gain public confidence against their
competitors.
She said registering with the
Commission helps organisations to be part of the due diligence requirements for
contract since without data protection licence, companies would not be given
contracts.
Ms Poku added that another
benefit of registering with the Commission was excellence in the leadership of
an organisation in that it positioned the CEO as the leader in the company.
The Executive Director said
non-compliance with the Commission’s Act would force the Commission to enforce
action on organisations such as negative media attention, leading to loss of
reputation, customers and possible European Union fines.
Mr Vincent Odotei Sowah, the
Deputy Minister of Communications urged individuals and organisations to comply
with the Act since the country’s competitiveness depended on compliance to the
Act.
Mr Sowah said data protection was
crucial because of the high rate in cyber-crime and as such it was imperative
for individual’s personal information be protected and managed to prevent
unhealthy practices.
He said government would continue
to play its role in ensuring that the right things were done in the right way
by ensuring that agencies responsible for the protection and management of
information worked in an effective and efficient manner.
GNA
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