Criminal Penalties for Licensing Violations

This provision criminalizes regulatory non-compliance by imposing imprisonment of 6 months to 2 years for operating ICT services without a valid license, falsely representing certification status, or submitting false information. The provision treats inadvertent licensing violations the same as deliberate fraud, creating severe barriers to market entry for startups and small businesses. Unlike OECD democracies where licensing violations typically result in administrative penalties, this provision makes regulatory non-compliance a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment, creating a chilling effect on innovation and entrepreneurship in Ghana's ICT sector.