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The National Communications Authority (NCA) has reiterated the warning that it will confiscate any electronic equipment which will interfere in the operation of other electronic systems.

Similarly, any telecommunication equipment imported into the country that does not either meet local and international standards or had not gone through the right processes for clearance will be seized and the owners prosecuted.

Mr. Robert Apaya, Senior Manager at the Legal Department of the Authority disclosed these at a workshop on ‘compliance with electronic communications standard in Accra yesterday.

He said the electronic interference intercepted other communications transmissions and affect content of programmes while some affect aeronautic activities, among other problems.

Mr. Apaya stressed that NCA could prohibit or cease any equipment if it does not meet technical and international standards, “enter any premise of any electronic facility if it comes to its notice that the telecommunication equipment were being used without the law”.

Mr. Apaya said the NCA was expected to certify any equipment imported into the country  before connecting them to any public electric communication network.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Director-General of NCA, Mr. William Tevie, said the Authority was mandated to ensure that all electronic communications equipment manufactured or imported into the country for sale were in compliance with minimum health and safety.

Subsequently, he said, ACT 775 introduced ‘the type approval’ to ensure that all electronic communication equipment used in the country complied with NCA’s technical and regulatory requirement.

He said the type approval is the certificate issued for electronic communication equipment that meet technical and regulatory requirement in a particular country.

Mr. Tevie said the NCA was to ensure that no sub-standard equipment which may have adverse effect on radio and pose health and safety hazards to users and the electronic communication infrastructure are allowed in Ghana.

‘Telecommunication standardisation is a global concern for safety, conformity and interoperability, which is focused on the role of standardisation in improving communications in Ghana,’ he said.

The Head of Information Technology at the Ghana Standards Authority, Mr. Striggner Bedu-Addo, said standards must not be compromised and urged the public to insist on standardisation and quality.