Ghana Telecom to resolve impasse

THE Ghana Telecommunications Company (Ghana Telecom) has given the assurance that the controversy surrounding the signing of inter-connectivity agreement and the operation of mobile telephone facility would soon be resolved.

Mr George Ekow Mill, Head of Corporate Customer Services who disclosed this said the company wants to get all parties connected with the agreement to come on board before the agreement is signed.

Mr Mill was reacting to questions at a forum organised by the Ghana National Association of Consumers (GNAC) on the rights and responsibilities of consumers in Accra.

The questions, most of which centered on the operation of mobile telephone systems, billing, customer complaints, poor service delivery, high tariffs and other unfair practices.

Reacting to a call by Mr Francis Badu-Brown, Executive Secretary of the GNAC that the authorities should restrain Ghana Telecom from operating mobile telephone services, Mr Mill said mobile service has been identified as one of the areas that would enable the company to survive in the market.

The association contended that the operation of mobile facility by the company would break the smaller mobile companies and enhance Ghana Telecom's monopoly.

He said the company conceived the idea of operating mobile telephone service before other operartors came to the scene.

He said the introduction of the "One Touch" Ghana Telecom mobile service has forced down the price of mobile telephone sets and accessories.

Mr Mill said the issue concerning the company's mobile phone service vis-a-vis other private mobile telephone operators is being handled by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

He said last year the company installed 1,500 pay phone systems in the country as against the annual quota of 200.

He announced that beginning from mext year, more telephone booths would be installed to serve more customers and communities.

Mr Mill explained that the current tariffs being charged by the company is based on 1996 estimates and that they are still very low.

He said the billing system has been fair and called on customers with genuine problems to contact the customer service points in the communities