Migrate onto GVG platform or face sanctions – Ursula warns telcos

Government has threatened to revoke the licences of mobile telecommunication companies who fail to migrate onto the Kelni-GVG platform as part of processes to ensure proper monitoring of their revenues for tax purposes.

Government has threatened to revoke the licences of mobile telecommunication companies who fail to migrate onto the Kelni-GVG platform as part of processes to ensure proper monitoring of their revenues for tax purposes.

Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said Sections 4 and 5 of the Communications Service Tax (Amendment) Act, 2013, Act 864 mandates the National Communications Authority (NCA) to ensure such compliance, adding that any service provider who refuses to provide access to its network for government or its appointed agents commits an offence.

Addressing Members of Parliament in Accra o Thursday, 31 May 2018, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful announced that the telcos have up to 11 June 2018 to comply with the directive.

She said: “Mr Speaker, I’m glad to announce that Vodafone and Glo are currently in the process of connecting physically to the Common Platform (CMP). I expect the others to do so shortly. Their deadline for final connection is 11 June 2018 and failure or refusal to do so will result in imposition of the specified sanctions.”

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful has defended the controversial contract signed between her ministry and KelniGVG indicating that it was the “best” the country could get.

However, the Minority in parliament has called for an independent probe into the deal.