Seeking comments from the public, the government yesterday published a draft Data Protection Bill which envisages the appointment of a Data Protection Commissioner and sets stiff penalties, in one case a fine of $100m and five years of imprisonment.
Publication of the draft bill followed news that the government had sealed a controversial deal for an electronic ID system which would store a broad range of information on citizens. Critics had said that it was premature for such a deal to be struck when there was no data protection system here and cybersecurity capabilities were week.
In a statement yesterday, the Attorney General’s Chambers said that the government intends to lay in the National Assembly shortly, the Data Protection Bill 2023.
