We need laws with teeth, says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, MSMEs and Communications Manoa Kamikamica.
He told Parliament that Government was taking steps to strengthen laws.
He said as new and emerging digital technologies evolve, our laws must be flexible to effectively tackle the challenges ahead.
“These include the review of the Telecommunications Act 2008, Online Safety Act 2018, Cybercrime Act 2021, developing our privacy and personal data protection law, and to ensure that these have the appropriate regulatory and enforcement provisions, including stronger penalties for non-compliance with these laws,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“In other words, we need laws with teeth.”
On strengthening the Telecommunications Act 2008, he said this Act had provided a solid foundation for the development of our telecommunications sector.
“However, over the past 15 years, the global telecommunications environment has transformed dramatically.
“While this framework has served Fiji well, it was designed for a different era of telecommunications.
“It focused on traditional voice and data services, and since then, the breadth of technologies and challenges we face today has evolved.”
He said as part of the law reform process, the Government intended to focus on several key areas arising rapidly from this evolving digital landscape.
“These include mitigating risks and putting in place appropriate regulatory measures regarding emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, Over-The-Top (OTT) service, satellite infrastructure and submarine cables.
“To address these would create further certainties for investors, enable regulators to respond effectively in these new and emerging areas, and provide consumers with sufficient safeguards in the digital age.”
