NCA HOLDS STAKEHOLDERS’ SENSITISATION WORKSHOP ON DEALERSHIP LICENSING

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has held a workshop to sensitise stakeholders on Type Approval. The Workshop which took place at the NCA Tower in Accra brought together Importers, Dealers and Manufacturers of communications equipment as well as media representatives.

This is part of a series of workshops being organised by the Authority this year to educate and sensitise Importers, Dealers, and Manufacturers in Electronic Communications Equipment (ECE) such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, routers, switches, hands-free devices, radios, television sets and set-top boxes.

 The Workshops will also focus on Equipment Standardization, Dealership Licensing as well as Legal aspects of communication and related offenses. Over the past years, NCA has undertaken various initiatives in the area of standardization to ensure safety, conformance and interoperability for all consumers and users of electronic communications equipment.

Mr. Henry Kanor, Deputy Director General (Technical Operations) delivering the welcome address.

In the Ag. Director General’s welcome address read on his behalf by the Deputy Director General of Technical Operations, Mr Henry Kanor, he indicated that standards was essential for local and international communications, global trade and emerging markets. He pointed out that the Authority had introduced the Type Approval Regime to ensure that all ECE used in Ghana meet specific technical and regulatory requirements.

The regime has been designed to facilitate easy access to the Ghanaian market, introduce a variety of safe equipment for the consumer and most importantly to maintain consumer rights hence the need for standardisation.

He stressed that the NCA is empowered to ensure that all ECE manufactured or imported into Ghana for sale or use meet specific minimum health, safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements which are spelt out in NCA’s Type Approval Guidelines.

Mr Kanor urged stakeholders in the value chain to ensure that as the world migrates to the 5G space these technologies are used responsibly and with caution in order to avoid accidents, injury and to safeguard our critical national infrastructure interest as well as our hard earned investments.

A cross-section of participants at the workshop.

Some of the participants expressed their concerns regarding electromagnetic emissions from particularly mobile phones. Mr. Isaac Boateng in response assured participants that it was for this main reason that the Authority had set up labs to test ECE which were being brought into the country before they are sold to consumers. 

Mr. Isaac Boateng responding to a question from a participant.

A participant also appealed to the Authority to streamline its presence and operations at the ports to facilitate speedy and efficient processing of their imported communication equipment.

Presentations were also given by Mr. Robert Apaya on the Legal Implications of Non-conformance with the Standardization Regime and Mr. Edmund Fianko also gave a presentation on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Conformance Regime.

Issued by the National Communications Authority,

No. 6 Airport City, Accra.

Tel: (0)30 – 2776621/2771701 or 050-145-1522/3.

E-mail: info@localhost

Date – Thursday, 29^th June, 2017

Editor’s Note

About NCA

The National Communications Authority, (NCA), was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 524 in December 1996, which has been repealed and replaced by the National Communications Authority Act,  2008 (Act 769). The Authority is the statutory body mandated to license and to regulate electronic communication activities and services in the country.