Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, says persistent cyber fraud and romance scams are the main reasons global digital platforms such as TikTok, PayPal, and Meta have not enabled content monetisation in Ghana.
Speaking to the media at the Ningo-Prampram Education Directorate during the Teachers Awards and Retirees’ Send-Off on December 12, 2024, he explained that ongoing online fraud has made it difficult to convince these companies to fully operate monetisation services in the country.
“I have seen a number of comments on social media saying that this is not what we voted for; you are going after the fraud boys, you are not creating jobs. But these same people are asking me to get PayPal to monetise, to get TikTok to monetise, and Meta to monetise. Well, they will blacklist Ghana so long as there is fraud,” he said.
Sam George noted that fraud was the key reason PayPal exited Ghana years ago, stressing that the damage continues to affect the country’s digital economy and its credibility with major tech firms.
He maintained that the Ministry will not relent in its efforts to clamp down on cybercriminals because their activities are undermining thousands of Ghanaians who earn a living legitimately online, particularly content creators.
“The reason PayPal left Ghana is because of fraud. When a few people deprive the majority who are doing legitimate work on social media and creating content, it affects everyone. The reason you can not monetise and get value for your craft is because some individuals have chosen to give Ghana a bad name. We will take action,” he stated.
According to him, tackling cybercrime is not only about law enforcement but also about restoring Ghana’s image internationally and strengthening the country’s bargaining power when negotiating monetisation arrangements with global platforms.
“I made a commitment when I became Minister that anything we can do to clean up the image of Ghana internationally, we will do. As we clamp down on cybercrime, it makes our case stronger as we talk to platforms to monetise. It helps us present Ghana as a peaceful and safe destination and assure them that illicit flows will not pass,” he added.
Story by: Mercy Addai Turkson #ahotoronline.com