GT gets $200m dollars for expansion project

Elmina (C/R), Feb. 18, GNA - The management of Ghana Telecom (GT), has secured 200 million dollars to improve its facilities and provide quality service to its customers.

Mr Dickson Oduro-Nyaning, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, who announced this at a "Change Conference" organised for staff of the company in the Central Region, at Elmina on Wednesday said President Kufuor was instrumental in raising 150 million dollars of the amount for the company from Alcatel Shanghai Bell in China, when he visited that country last year, while the GT raised the remaining 50 million dollars from some local banks.

The conference, which is under the theme: "Change, a new dawn for Ghana Telecom", was to sensitise workers of the company on the need for them to adopt positive attitudes in the discharge of their duties. This followed complaints of extortion against some of the staff and massive public criticisms about poor quality services provided by the company. He pointed out that the provision of new equipment and facilities alone, would not boost the image of the company.

According to the deputy CEO, some workers of the company, had already been dismissed nationwide for extortion with regard to services such as the installation of new telephone lines, while other disciplinary cases were also pending.

He stressed that it was imperative to take the necessary measures to ensure that all workers of the company were efficient in the discharge of their duties.

Mr Oduro-Nyaning, said management was hopeful that as a result of the conference which has been held for the company's workers nationwide, the company, would by June this year, register a marked improvement in the attitude of its staff, in order to win back public confidence.

He said the GT, would over a three-year period, carry out a "massive" rehabilitation and expansion of its telecommunication and infrastructural facilities involving the construction of new office buildings in four regional capitals, the rehabilitation of other regional offices and the expansion of telephone switches.

In his welcoming address, the Regional Director, Mr Joseph Tinagyei-Gyimah, expressed the hope that the conference would prepare the company for the challenges ahead.

He said the company in the region faced many challenges bordering on the expansion and modernisation of its installations and that it was even "yet to fully cover" four of the 13 districts in the region. He said only 60 lines had been extended from Dunkwa to six district capitals, where there were no telephone services, namely Ajumako Twifo-Praso, Abura-Dunkwa, Saltpond, Apam and Breman-Asikuma.