The Government is therefore committed to promoting and implementing a communications sector legal and regulatory framework that is open and transparent in the development and application of its rules, regulations, directives and provisions; caters for and promote competition and innovation; exhibits the characteristics of clarity in terms of its directives and laws: predictability in that its directives and laws must lead to predictable results, outcomes and consequences for business decisions and relevance in that its directives and laws reflects the pertinent subject matters and issues of the ICT sector and industry. As part of this commitment, specific policy measures shall be taken to facilitate universal service and access to basic and value added telecommunications services; the creation of conditions for an investor friendly communications environment; the development of the communications industry towards competition, while taking steps to facilitate the active involvement of local companies in the industry and as well as promoting liberalization of the sector and private sector investment in the ICT sector. The Government also acknowledges that the deployment, exploitation and the development of ICTs in Ghana will need to be guided by appropriate standards, best practices and guidelines. The Government is therefore committed to facilitating this process. The Government is also committed to the enactment of the necessary cyber laws and legislative provisions to govern and regulate cyber-related activities within the country. Legislation to promote and facilitate electronic commerce and other Internet-related activities in the country shall be enacted in addition to facilitating the enactment of laws relating to: intellectual property rights; data protection and security, freedom of access to information; computer and cyber crime and other cyber-laws, necessary for facilitating their country’s participation in the information age and economy. This policy commitment shall in addition contribute to addressing some of the other identified developmental challenges facing Ghana, including: the challenges of the disproportionate informal private sector; the challenges of the low job creation capacity of the economy as well as the challenges of the narrow export base dominated by traditional exports and the challenges of the weak scientific research base and under-developed research and development (R&D) capacity. Policy Objectives and Strategies The Objectives • To facilitate the full, effective and timely implementation of the necessary legal and regulatory framework to provide the basis for creating a competitive environment that offers incentives to promote investment and innovation within the ICT sector to improve access and quality of the service. • To ensure regular and periodic response to the rapidly changing phenomenon in the ICT industry, characterized by the development, advancement and convergence of information and communication technologies, systems and services by addressing emerging and necessary legal and regulatory issues and mechanisms that seeks to accommodate technological evolutions, advancement and other developments within the information and communications industry. • To establish a harmonized legal and regulatory framework to facilitate the regulation of electronic communications and information exchange and interchange as well as communications networks and services; --- covering all technologies and delivery platforms and systems including fixed 69