The Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Okatakyie Ababio Boakye Danquah II, has officially launched an eight-member Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) on May 5, 2024, at the NCA Tower.

The committee, chaired by Patrick Boateng, a board member of the NCA, comprises other industry representatives, including Professor Mark Adom-Asamoah, Ama Pomaa Boateng, Dr. Jemima Nunoo, Prince Hari Crystal, Kofi Owusu-Nhyira Esq., Kusum Appiah, and Golda Sowah Adjei, with Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante as the secretary of the DRC.

Speaking at the launch, the Director General of the NCA, Dr. Joe Anokye, stated that the NCA, as an organisation, has not relented on ensuring sanity in the telecommunications space in Ghana and continues to do this with reliance on the Authority’s mandate to regulate the country’s electronic communication industry.

He highlighted that Sections 84 and 85, as enshrined in the Electronic Communications Act 2008, Act 775, enjoin the NCA and its Board to establish a dispute resolution process and a dispute resolution committee, respectively, to resolve disputes amongst its stakeholders.

“The NCA has consistently demonstrated a serious commitment to addressing and resolving stakeholder complaints. However, as the communication industry continues to evolve and expand, it has become prudent that the DRC be set up to augment and make the dispute resolution process of the Authority more robust," he said.

Delivering a keynote address, Okatakyie Ababio Boakye Danquah II stated that the Dispute Resolution Committee is a testament to the NCA’s commitment to its five-year strategic plan of being an innovative, agile, professional, and proactive regulator, adaptive to emerging changes in the communication and digital eco-systems.

He indicated that the DRC is a conduit for amicable resolution of industry disputes and encourages the general public to make good use of this avenue.

He further stated that the DRC will also be an alternative method to assist parties in finding a mutually beneficial means of resolving disputes between parties and will ultimately be for the greater good of the electronic communications industry and the country as a whole.

Okatakyie Ababio Boakye Danquah II announced that the NCA will begin sensitising the public on the procedures to engage the DRC, and the DRC User Guidelines will be published on the Authority’s website.

“The DRC is expected to be open to the public by July 1, 2024, and will be accessible to the general public to submit disputes for the consideration of the Committee. For the first few months, there will be no filing fees for the submission of claims,” he said.

He concluded by stating that the DRC registry will be situated on the ground floor of the NCA Tower, where it will assist complainants throughout the process.

Additionally, he mentioned that DRC hearings will be conducted at the NCA Tower, and in the near future, a fully functional DRC complex will be established.

This complex will feature caucus rooms, real-time transcription of hearings, automated translation, and more.