The Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communications has wrapped up a series of visits to major state institutions in the sector, warning that outdated equipment and crumbling infrastructure are hampering the agencies’ ability to deliver essential services.
The Committee inspected operations at the National Communications Authority, Accra Digital Centre, Ghana Post and the Cyber Security Authority, before sharing its findings with journalists in Accra.
Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Bunkpurugu, Abed-Nego Bandim, said the visits exposed worrying operational gaps, from poor facilities to outdated laws. He stressed that Parliament would move quickly to strengthen the legal mandates of these agencies, many of which are operating under obsolete legislation.
“What we saw is that some agencies do not even have proper office space because of financial constraints. The situation at the National Archives is especially dire, with poor preservation facilities that put our national records at risk,” Mr Bandim said.
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation was also highlighted as being under serious strain. The Committee found that high electricity costs have forced the state broadcaster to shut down some of its studios. Mr Bandim suggested that GBC consider solar power as a cheaper, more sustainable energy source.
Adding to the concerns, GBC revealed that its infrastructure is being used to run the Digital Terrestrial Television project without any compensation, despite the broadcaster owning 42 cell sites nationwide.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency is also struggling, with obsolete equipment limiting its ability to provide accurate weather forecasts, while telecom operators came under fire from the public for poor quality of service.
Mr Bandim said the Committee will present a detailed report to Parliament with proposals for urgent reforms, including granting some agencies greater autonomy and recommending long-term investments to modernise their systems.
“Our communications infrastructure cannot remain stuck in the past. If these challenges are not addressed, the country risks falling further behind in delivering reliable and modern services,” he said.
