Phone cards in short supply

Many patrons of Ghana Telecom (GT) phone cards of smaller denominations of 25 and 50 units have attributed the nation-wide shortage of the cards to the company's alleged wait-and-see attitude due to the change of government in the country.

A source close to the GT office in Sunyani told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Wednesday that the Malaysian owners of the company have been gripped with fear that the new political administration would take back the ownership right from them.

Hence, the management decided last December not to place new orders for the cards till they know of their fate early this year, the source added.

The 25 and 50 unit cards are in short supply in recent times, and ordinary consumers who mostly patronise them have become increasingly worried, as they cannot afford the 100 and 150-unit cards, which are the ones available.

These are sold at 23,650 and 34,900 cedis respectively.

A senior official at the Ghana Telecom office in Sunyani, who pleaded anonymity, however, denied that the shortage was due to the fear of withdrawal of the current ownership right.

"It is just a delay on the part of the overseas manufacturers to supply the order the company placed early this year."

He assured the public that enough stock had arrived and that, as from next week, the retailing outlets would receive their supplies.