Business

Accra, July 26, 2024 –

MTN Ghana today announced that it has completed 80% of its planned network upgrade across the country, which commenced in June 2024 and expected to end in August 2024. The upgrade involves the replacement of existing mobile network infrastructure with more efficient and environmentally friendly equipment.

The Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of MTN Ghana, Thomas Motlepa, indicated the commitment of the business to delivering unparalleled network service for customers. He said, “Our customers remain at the core of our business. This upgrade will ensure that we have a more reliable and robust networkand help to achieve network virtualization and increased capacity for optimum service delivery.”

In expressing his gratitude to stakeholders and customers, Mr. Motlepa noted “We are thankful to our valued customers and stakeholders for their patience and support during the period especially as we experienced some intermittent network disruptions.”

The modernization of the network is expected to be completed by the end of August 2024. Customers who experience any disruption to any service can call MTN toll free number 100 or reach out via any of MTN’s social media handles.

MTN is on track to invest $1 billion in its network by 2025 as promised.
The company continues to expand its coverage, improve customer data experience, and promote sustainable practices.
End.
Media Contacts:
Adwoa Wiafe
Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer
Georgina Asare Fiagbenu
Corporate Communications Senior Manager
Email: MTNGhana.MediaOffic

 

By:Isaac Amoah

The leading telecommunication giant in the country, MTN Ghana, has held its annual editors and stakeholders forum in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, to solicit the necessary feedback from major stakeholders and also showcase its achievements.

The forum, which was held on Wednesday, 24th July 2024, at Lancaster Hotel, brought together senior editors across the region and key stakeholders to review the activities of the company as part of its annual forum aimed at getting necessary feedback to improve its services to customers.

Some scenes from the forum

The Head of this year’s Ashanti Editors & Stakeholders Forum, who doubles as the General Manager of the Northern Business District, Mr Nii Adotey Mingle, revealed that MTN Foundation, over the years, had spent a total amount of GH¢106.5 million on social impact projects.

According to him, the foundation has successfully initiated and completed 166 social projects that have impacted over 4.5 million lives across the country.

Mr.Nii Adotey Mingle speaking at the forum

A section of participants

Mr. Mingle gave the breakdown of the projects as follows:
Educational Sector – 90,
Healthcare – 55,
Economic Empowerment – 15 &
Community Support Initiatives – 6.

He said as part of the company’s commitment to incorporate digital capability and skills training into its programme in order to achieve the foundation’s 75% target by the year 2025, their strategic refocus had ensured completion of a number of digital projects, including the Mamfe Girls Robotics lab, Yilo Krobo 40-seater ICT project, Wiamoase ICT facility-equipment, among others.

According to him, the company’s community support programmes centred on equipping the youth, women, persons with disabilities with digital skills training and interventions, such as vocational skills training, and educational and health infrastructure will be carried out next year.

 

The Head of Technical in the Northern Business sector, Mr Charles Osei Ajoto, bemoaned the continued fibre cuts and implored all stakeholders, especially the media, to educate Ghanaians to help prevent the fibre cuts.

Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. Alex Ampaabeng has assured Ghanaians that the Electronic Levy (E-Levy) and COVID-19 levy will soon be reviewed to lessen their burdens.

Speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” show, Dr. Alex Ampaabeng explained that the two taxes are part of government’s tax reform plans.

He revealed that the Ministry has started measures to ease the tax pressures saying “currently, the government is taking progressive steps on reforming our taxes. One of the things we are focused on in the Ministry is to reform almost all our tax handles, making sure they are used for its purposes and to ease Ghanaians.

Dr. Alex Ampaabeng

“So, for both E-Levy and COVID-19 levy, they’re all under consideration for the review of the tax handles we are doing. With E-Levy, I can say my flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has already served notice to remove it if elected President.”

He added that the Ministry in conjunction with the Ghana Revenue Authority are currently engaging in a “taxpayer data cleansing” to ensure that “when the (tax) net is spread wide, it helps to limit the burden on the few because we spread the tax liability or the tax revenue among a bigger segment of the population”.

The Deputy Minister assured Ghanaians that, with these tax reforms which he noted will come into force in the first quarter of 2025, “the future looks very bright for Ghana”.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

Source: Kenneth Awotwe Darko

Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the economy as presented by Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam during the 2024 Mid-Year Budget Review on Tuesday, July 2023.

According to Dr. Forson, none of the actions taken by the government have successfully reversed the troubling economic predicament of the country.

 

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson

He criticised the introduction of new taxes, arguing that they have only exacerbated the woes of Ghanaians and made the country unattractive to investors.

The MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam also voiced his dissatisfaction with the high import duties, which he claims have resulted in a significant reduction of traffic at the Tema port by about 50%.

Addressing journalists, the Minority Leader highlighted the high unemployment rate and the unbearable cost of living as key issues facing the country.

“The high import duties have cut traffic at the Tema port in half, and the cost of living is unbearable for many,” he added.

To address these challenges, Dr. Forson suggested that the government should scrap what the Minority perceives as nuisance taxes, including the E-Levy and the Covid-19 levy, among others.

 

 

Source: Ernest K. Arhinful

The Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has stated that the Ghanaian economy is rebounding stronger than anticipated.

He attributes this economic growth to the stabilisation of the exchange rate, a decline in inflation, and a boost in gross international reserves.

According to Dr. Amin Adam, the policies and choices implemented by the government are yielding positive results.

In his presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review on Tuesday, July 23, to Parliament, Dr. Amin Adam said that the government has successfully reversed the negative trends that previously plagued the economy and noted that key economic indicators are showing significant improvements.

Dr. Amin Adam

According to him, these achievements underscore the government’s commitment to sustaining these positive trends and ensuring the continued revival and growth of the Ghanaian economy for the benefit of all citizens.

“Growth continues to exceed our expectations. The 4.7 percent growth rate reported by the Ghana Statistical Service for the first quarter of 2024 exceeds the revised target of 3.1 percent; Inflation is declining. The end-June inflation rate of 22.8 percent, a reduction of 31 percentage points since December 2022, confirms the target threshold of +/-2 of 15 percent by the end of 2024 is possible;

“Exchange rate has largely stabilised, compared to December 2022, despite the recent pressures. The 18.6 percent depreciation rate to the US Dollar as of June 2024, represents an improvement over the 22.0 percent recorded for the same period last year; and Gross International Reserves reached 3.1 months of import as at end June 2024 against 2.5 months of imports in the same period last year.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is evident that we are on the right trajectory. The economy is rebounding stronger than anticipated. The choices we have made and the policies we are implementing are yielding results. We have reversed the negative trends, all the indicators are looking better.”

The Finance Minister assured that the government will stay committed to its current path and will continue to make prudent decisions to sustain the country’s economic growth.

“I want to assure you that we will stay on this path and continue to make the right choices. Our economic recovery is fast and strong.

“Mr. Speaker, over the last six months, we have sought to bring some urgency and speed to the implementation of key government programmes and also swiftly provided the necessary support for growth-enhancing initiatives,” he added.