![](https://dailystatesman.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Patricia-Adusei.png)
Patricia Adusei Poku, Director, Data Protection Commission
Data Protection Commission, in partnership with the Public Procurement Authority , has directed that businesses without a data protection licences may be unable to bid for government contracts.
Before beginning operations, all businesses must get a data protection licences under the Data Protection Act.
During a press conference to update journalists on the Data Protection Week, the Executive Director of the Data Protection Commission, Patricia Adusei Poku, said the new directive is required to protect clients and the broader public from data exploitation because the government is beginning with many digital initiatives.
Obtaining a licence from the Commission, she claims, is a basic requirement for companies who collect data for their daily operations.
“We are working with other regulatory agencies and government authorities to begin demanding a data protection license from contractors. The Public Procurement Authority is collaborating with us on that to ensure that all contractors have license as a mandate before giving any project,” she noted.
Ghana’s election
She also took the opportunity to announce that Ghana has been elected President of the Africa Data Protection Agencies, a move that elevates Ghana to the forefront of the business.
The subject of this year’s Data Protection Awareness Week is “Transparency, Trust, and Transformation in Digitisation.”
As part of the week’s celebrations in Accra, the Commission will meet with the CEOs of data collection companies.