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A prominent African-focused telecommunications provider, Telecel Ghana, has officially launched its branch in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.

The official launch took place on Thursday, 25th April 2024.

Telecel Group, which operates in over 20 countries, entered the Ghanaian market in February 2023 by acquiring a 70% majority stake in Ghana Telecommunication Company Limited (GTCL).

Following the acquisition, Telecel rebranded Vodafone Ghana within a year and has significantly expanded its network infrastructure throughout the country.

During the official launch in Kumasi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telecel, Engineer Patricia Obo-Nai, emphasised that the telecommunications network aims to address and improve the country’s network issues.

“Telecel is here to strengthen and stabilise network issues in Ghana. Therefore, as Telecel has invested in Ghana as a telecommunication company, all network problems are going to be resolved,” Engineer Obo-Nai stated.

“We’re going to expand our coverage and also improve upon our services in areas we were not available.

“The people of Ghana have 30% share in Telecel and, therefore, I’ll encourage all Ghanaians to participate in our company,” she added.

The CEO said Telecel would continue to offer good services to its consumers in the country.

Speaking about mobile money business, she stressed that Telecel is a reliable and secure option for all customers.

The company has implemented stringent measures to combat mobile money fraud, ensuring the safety of all transactions.

Mr. Samuel Pyne, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, expressed his appreciation for Telecel’s presence in Greater Kumasi and in the Ashanti Region in general.

However, he urged the company’s executives to enhance their services in Kumasi.

He stressed the importance of making their rates more affordable to encourage greater usage of their telecommunications network in the region.

Source: Joseph Marfo

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has rejected calls from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Workers’ Union to apologise for the arrest of one of their Managers.

He defended his actions, stating that he had requested the Police to arrest the Ashanti East Manager of the ECG, Mark Wiafe Asomani, for security reasons.

During a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday, the Minister revealed that there were agreements in place between the ECG and the Kumasi Technical University to address the University’s outstanding debts.

Hon.Simon Osei-Mensah

 

Mr Osei-Mensah assured reporters that he was merely carrying out his responsibilities and had not committed any wrongdoing.

“Do I have to apologise for doing my security work? What I want to tell you is that I asked the police to invite Ing Mark Asomani Wiafe on security grounds because of the happenings in the electricity sector in the region and the fact that a task force can always come from outside to disconnect without the proper information.

“What is ironic is that they tell me that they are not under me and for that matter, I cannot tell them what to do but they want to tell me how to execute my security responsibilities as enshrined in the Securities and Intelligence Act of 2020, Act 10(30).”

The Minister also dismissed claims that some managers of the ECG are members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC).

The Minister also criticised the ECG for not heeding warnings from the Security Council to maintain uninterrupted power supply at the residences of the President and his Vice when they are in the Ashanti Region.

Furthermore, he alleged that the ECG had been overcharging him for electricity at his residence while denying any outstanding payments to the power company.Source:Hafiz Tijani

 

 

In a significant milestone for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Ghana, 140 beneficiaries have completed training under the inaugural edition of the MTN Ghana Foundation’s Enterprise Support Program. The 140 MSME owners also received a capital injection of up to 10,000 cedis each.

In total, the MTN Ghana Foundation invested GHS1 million to support their businesses after the training. Additionally, participants were enrolled on the MTN Momo Market, an e-commerce platform that offers beneficiary businesses the opportunity to showcase their products to an audience of over 20 million customers.

A group picture of Adwoa Wiafe, some youth beneficiaries, staff of MTN Ghana and Innohub Foundation

TheEnterprise project targets youth, women, and differently-abledled MSMEs and aims to support 500 MSMEs in Ghana over the next five years. The training modules were designed to address the needs of beneficiaries identified during the initial needs assessment.

The training for the beneficiaries included Bookkeeping, Business Model Innovation, Financing your Business, Business Cost and Pricing, Design Thinking, Branding, Sales and Marketing, Business Management, Financial Literacy, Digital Marketing, and Customer Service. The training went beyond technical knowledge for business growth and sustainability; it also provided an experiential approach with peer-to-peer teaching and learning as well as networking opportunities.

A group picture of Adwoa Wiafe, some differently abled beneficiaries, staff of MTN Ghana and Innohub Foundation

 

Commenting on the project, the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Wiafe, said, “We are pleased with the impact that this program has had on the livelihoods of the beneficiaries in the first year of this five-year program. We will continue to improve its implementation and monitoring in the second year to enhance its impact on the beneficiaries and their businesses. .”

“The program is MTN Foundation’s way of helping to address a significant challenge faced by micro and small-scale enterprises in the country – access to capital. In providing this much needed support we are complementing the government’s efforts to build a sustainable livelihood for business owners from low income communities,” she added.

Adwoa Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana

Speaking about the project, one of the beneficiaries said, “I thoroughly enjoyed the training. I learned about the benefits of proper branding, customer experience, marketing, communication, and branding which I will apply to improve the way I do business.”

Another beneficiary, who is a person living with a disability, said, “I liked everything about the training. The trainer taught us in Twi, so we understood it well. We can now manage our businesses, maintain our customers, and attract new ones.”

The MTN Enterprise Support Program is a legacy project of MTN Ghana and was established in celebration of its 25th Anniversary in 2021. The initiative was launched in 2023 and is being implemented in partnership with the Innohub Foundation. The second year of the project will be launched in April 2024, where another group of MSMEs from three regions will be invited to submit applications. The shortlisted MSMEs will be given the opportunity to pitch for the grant, and the successful beneficiaries will be selected for onboarding for the 2024 edition.

 

End

 

Media Contacts:

Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe

Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer

Email: MTNGhana.MediaOffice@mtn.com

 

Georgina Asare Fiagbenu

Senior Manager Corporate Communications

Email: MTNGhana.MediaOffice@mtn.com

 

The President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Mr Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh has rallied government as well as other stakeholders in the education sector to consciously work to prioritise issues that addresses the welfare and wellbeing of Ghanaian students.

Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh, President of the National Union of Ghana 🇬🇭 Students (NUGS)

Addressing the second edition of the NUGS Education Conference in Accra on Monday, Mr Kyeremeh noted that evidence abounds that education is the best pivot on which revolves the attainment of proper human development.

This, he stressed, meant that policy and decision makers in the educational sector must include the very persons whose interest they seek in the drafting, designing and implementation of educational policies in the country.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister For Education receiving honours from NUGS President, Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh

“I implore you to consider our concerns and issues by setting up a Youth Advisory Board to ensure that you make student leaders part of policy formulation, designing and implementation so that you can adequately and appropriately attend to the needs of Ghanaian students who i believe are at the core of every educational system government intends to initiate”, the NUGS President appealed.

De-capping of GETFUND:
The Ghanaian Students Leader  re-echoed the need for the Ministry of Education to remove the cap it has placed on the funds allocated through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) for the implementation of projects.

He noted that the funds released by GETFUND to schools have been inadequate to carry out the sort of projects the schools need on campus.

Getting full access to the entire amount allocated by government under GETFUND,  Mr Kyeremeh stated could spark the wave of total transformation on campuses across Ghana 🇬🇭.

“Most of the notable senior high schools have been able to carry out massive infrastructural and developmental projects on campus because they got support from the GETFUND and we believe many others can have same story to share when the full amount allocated to GETFUND are released to schools for project implementation”, the NUGS leader stated passionately.

Commendation and Honour:
The NUGS President commended the Education Ministry and the Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum for showing commitment to the course of education in the country.

“Apart from the implementation of the free SHS policy that has shot up numbers of persons getting access to undertake secondary school education, other innovations and designs such as Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) models by the Ministry have highly shaped the phases of the educational system and we commend highly Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum for these”, Mr Kyeremeh stressed.

Non-Politicisation:
Mr Kyeremeh cautioned the politicisation of the educational system of the country, adding that the Ghanaian student would ultimately bear the consequences of bad policies in the sector if such is implemented.

“As the 2024 election draws closer rather than seeking to down play the current systems that may be working for the country, suggestions of different approaches should be done without the usual politics that is associated with same”, the NUGS President stated.

Education Minister:
Speaking at the conference, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Ghana’s 🇬🇭 Minister for Education underscored the commitment of government to continue investments into the educational system.

This, he noted, is to make the educational system modern, innovative and highly technological to respond to the questions the current times present.

The Minister charged Ghanaian students to continue to use the time they have in school wisely and judiciously since that would yield better returns for them in the future.

“Let no one deceive you because the best times are ahead of you and your attainment of quality and innovative education such as you have now would help to shape your future and make you impactful citizens of Ghana 🇬🇭 “, the Minister posited.Source:Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi

 

Source: Myjoyonline.com

 

The Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah says the Kumasi International Airport will be commissioned and put to use in June this year.

According to him, the opening of the airport to traffic would ease the burden on air travelers in the northern part of the country who have to commute to Accra for their international travels.

Already, the Ghana Airport Company, says an estimated 800,000 air passengers are expected to use the new facility annually.

Speaking to JoyNews, Mr. Asiamah said “by the end of June we should start operationalizing this terminal.”

The assertion by the Transport Minister follows an earlier one made by the Finance Minister in February.

 

According to Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, the Kumasi International Airport project, which was stalled for months is expected to be completed in April this year.

He explained that the huge part of the funds needed to complete the capital-intensive project has so far been released by the government to the contractor for work to resume.

The Minister of Finance said the government is now only required to pay the remaining two million euros in order for the project, which was stalled, to be completed.

He assured that the two million euros would be settled in one week’s time.

“This project would have been completed sometime ago but for the problem that we faced. Having said that, we have made renewed efforts to address those challenges.

“Part of the outstanding amount of money which was to be paid for work to resume has been paid to the contractor,” the Finance Minister said when he visited the airport.

“What is left is about just two million euros which we are going to pay within one week so that the contractor would have no excuse as far as funding is concerned, to work to bring the project to completion.”

Dr. Amin Adam, who sounded positive, said, “I’m impressing upon them to make sure by April 2024 they bring their work to a closure so we can use the airport.”

According to him, the completion of the Kumasi International Airport project would go a long way to improve air travel and also improve the lives of the people.

The Finance Minister reiterated his call on the contractor to expedite works so the project would be completed within the next two months, for it to be opened for public use

 

Source: tntnewspapergh.com

The Convenor of United Voices for Change,Mr.Sylvestin Ronald Antwi,has organized a press conference on the current deplorable state of the Ghanaian State-Owned Enterprises(SOEs).

Making reference to what Daisaku Ikeda once said “Our voices resonate with life. Because this is so, it can touch the lives of others. The caring and compassion imbued in your voice finds passage to the listeners soul, striking his or her heart and causing it to sing out; the human voice summons something profound from deep within, and can even compel a person into action”.

Speaking to the media at True Vine hotel on Tuesday,23rd April,2024, Ronald Antwi, said
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) significantly impact the economy, often playing major roles in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, infrastructure, transportation, telecommunications among others. Explaining that SOEs performance affects economic growth, government finances, and overall investor confidence.

 

The Convenor said the United Voice for Change, as voice of reasoning, a voice of conscience and the voice for the ordinary Ghanaian, is deeply concerned about the apparent mismanagement and financial losses incurred by key SOEs in Ghana. Recent reports from the Auditor-General have revealed alarming figures showcasing the deteriorating financial health of these entities which are crucial for the country’s development and economic stability.

He said for example,, Cocobod, a vital player in Ghana’s agricultural sector, has been recording substantial losses over time. In 2017, Cocobod made a loss of GHS 161.3 million, although its revenues had increased to GHS 10.25 billion from GHS 9.15 billion in the previous year.

The company also made losses of GHS 78.22 million in 2018, GHS 320.57 million in 2019, GHS 426.32 million in 2020 and a staggering GHS 2.44 billion in losses in 2021. Meanwhile, this was a company that had made reasonable profits of GHS 329.3 million and GHS 152.15 million in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

According to Mr.Antwi,the losses which began in 2016 are ballooning by the years, reaching GHS 2.44 billion in 2021.
Also, the Ghana Water Company Limited, responsible for providing safe and reliable water services to the population, has equally faced significant challenges. A company which had made a profit of GHS 101.14 million in 2016 has been turned into a loss-making machine, registering losses of GHS 692.2 million in 2017, GHS 667.9 million in 2018 and a staggering GHS 2.6 billion in losses in 2019. In 2020, the company made losses to the tune of GHS 939 million, although its revenues in that year had increased to GHS 1.3 billion from GHS 902 million in the previous year.

Furthermore, ECG, tasked with providing electricity to the nation, has also experienced a decline in performance.

He revealed that ECG reported a loss of Gh¢1.914 billion in 2021, having made profit of GHS 181 million in the previous year.

” The company also made losses of GHS 1.47 billion and GHS 2.27 billion in 2019 and 2018 respectively. This demonstrates a clear failure of leadership and a lack of accountability within the organization.

He lamented that Ghana Airport Company is another culprit.

According to him,the company has consistently made losses since 2019. From losses of GHS 231.34 million in 2019, the losses almost doubled in 2020, reaching GHS 434.77 million. In 2021, the company’s losses were a little over GHS 252 million.

To buttress his argument,he quoted Maya Angelou ,who once said “Words are more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning” the increasing losses of these entities has a significant repercussion on the country’s economy.

These repercussions include but not limited to the following:
Financial Drain: When SOEs make losses, the government is required to financially support them to sustain their operations.

He said Myjoyonline’s publication on April 10, 2024, which reads “GNPC may not survive if government ceases to support corporation after 2026-IPAC”, is really disheartening. Funds that can be channelled or allocated to other critical areas such as infrastructure development, healthcare, and education is going to be used to support an SOE, which is a profit-oriented entity and was established to make profit. How did we get here?

The rest of the statement reads”increased Debt and Reduced Investment: If SOEs are unable to cover their costs and sustain operations, they may resort to adding up to the national debt, which will lead to an increase in national debt levels, and ultimately putting pressure on the country’s financial stability. Indeed, the inclusion of the indebtedness of these SoEs in Ghana’s Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) saw a deterioration in the country’s Debt to GDP ratio, threatening the sustainability of the country’s debt over the medium to long term. The continuous debt distress could potentially deter foreign investors from investing in the country.

Erosion of Public Confidence: Continued losses among SOEs will erode public confidence in the government’s ability to manage the economy effectively. This can lead to a loss of trust in government institutions and policies, affecting overall economic stability.

These are signs of issues with the government’s business practices, which also raises concerns about the commitment of the government towards the efficient running and sustainability of SOEs.

What is evident is that our State-Owned Enterprises are underperforming; this has drained the country’s resources and plunged the country into underdevelopment and indebtedness.

Undisputably, SOEs are profit-oriented entities and should be making profits. Sadly enough, it appears the managers of these enterprises are more loyal to their appointing authorities than to the development of the companies, leading them to deliberately run SOEs at a loss.
The increasing losses and the lack of measures to curtail it suggest a deliberate attempt by politicians to push the CEOs of these SOEs to run the enterprises into a ditch, and later engage in corrupt practices of selling off the devalued SOEs to themselves.

Also, SOEs have been an avenue for rewarding party apparatchiks. Appointments to State-Owned Enterprises in Ghana have become a means of rewarding political loyalty rather than appointing qualified individuals who are enthusiastic about working for the growth of these enterprises. SOEs are underperforming because the CEOs of these enterprises, when appointed, face pressure from politicians to do their bidding.

We cannot say SOEs are running at a loss without speaking about their leadership. The means of appointing CEOs to manage the various SOEs is terribly flawed and needs to be investigated. Ladies and gentlemen, Bad leadership and poor management of the state resources by government officials elected or appointed into high offices has today turn almost 60% of the Ghanaian girls into hookups due to the distress in the economy and the difficulties in finding employment.

The behaviour of any organization is a reflection of its leadership. You cannot take the management of SOEs away from the mess created. The leadership of these enterprises has engaged in gross mismanagement and needs to face the consequences. Issues relating to conflict of interest, procurement fraud, spending without board approval, and procurement of items that have not been planned for, as well as contracting of loans without going through the due process, are all considered fraudulent acts and must be investigated.

United Voice for Change believes that SOEs are an integral part of nation building and play a crucial role in supporting the government’s development agenda. However, the current state of affairs within these entities is unacceptable and requires immediate action especially from our president because, as the president, he (H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo) is the elected CEO of all the Ghanaian State Enterprises and therefore, his major responsibility and ultimate goal at this crucial moment, is to ensure the smooth and successful running of these companies with high returns and at worst, break-even but shockingly and surprisingly enough, H.E. Nana Akuffo Addo as the elected CEO seems to be celebrating and rewarding gross incompetence, total failure and mismanagement of the company’s resources by his appointees, and I ask, WHAT KIND OF A CEO IS THIS?

It is with great urgency backed by verifiable data, facts and figures that we call for the dismissal of the CEOs of the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Water Company Limited, and Ghana Airport Company. These individuals have presided over a period of financial decline and recklessness and have failed to fulfil their mandates of ensuring profitability and revenue generation for the state.

It is a results of this clear thievery and gross disrespect for Ghanaians, that Ghana, a country which once upon a time was revered and celebrated across the globe for its high moral standards and God-fearing nature with so much peace, economic freedom and easy access to employment has today sadly turn into a gambling country due to the bad leadership and unprecedented poor governance and management of state companies happening today and therefore we plead on behalf of all the innocent Ghanaians, for the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, and his Attorney General to ensure that the CEOs of these entities, after being dismissed, face the law.

In conclusion, we believe that, the CEOs of the various SOEs in Ghana today are bolden and with much courage to steal, loot and deliberately collapse all state companies which are financed with the tax payer’s money solely because perhaps, the president and the presidency may only be interested in the kickbacks (if any) they receive from the CEOs ahead of the ultimate interest of the over 32 million Ghanaians reasons they have been looking on. Ladies and gentlemen, our president is directly supervising and superintending over this unprecedented thievery and unholy crime meted on Ghanaians.
United Voice for Change calls on the government to take swift and decisive action to address the issues of financial mismanagement within SOEs. The dismissal of the CEOs of Cocobod, ECG, GACL, and Ghana Water Company Limited is a necessary first step towards restoring accountability and ensuring the sustainable growth of these vital institutions.

Long Live Ghana
Long Live United Voices for Change
Thank you
…………………………
Sylvestin Ronald Antwi
Convenor
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