Christian Council calls for consensus building on GT sale

Accra, July 24, GNA - The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) on Thursday said the divergent and dissenting views from well-meaning Ghanaians on government decision to sell 70 per cent of Ghana Telecom (GH) called for a careful reflection and consensus building to ensure that any action taken did not affect the supreme interest of Ghana.

A statement by issued and signed by the Reverend Dr. Fred Deegbe, General Secretary of CCG, said in as much as the Council recognised and acknowledged the huge problem confronting government in the administration and operation of GT, and its policy on privatise participation as the engine of growth there were very critical and important questions that needed to be thoughtfully analysed and addressed so that the disposal of such a vital national asset benefited the country both in the short and long terms.

It said CCG thought Ghanaians needed to know factors compelling government to hand over the management of GT to foreigners.

"Will the sale of this important state asset address the root causes of the problem and what will be the social, economic and security implications on the lives of Ghanaians?"

The statement said besides, what lessons had the nation learnt from the divestiture of state assets such as the Black Star Line, State Fishing Corporation, Food Distribution Corporation and Ghana Airways to inform government decision.

The statement said an important consideration was the process of the deal observing the due procurement procedures, proper valuation and condition for the disposal of the asset that would help improve the living standard of the people on a sustainable basis.

"We cannot underestimate the importance of telecommunication in nation building including intelligence gathering and national security particularly, as the world becomes more sophisticated and complex due to globalisation and the rapid changes in information technology." the statement added.

Thed Council called for a comprehensive public discourse on every aspect of the telecom system among all key stakeholders including the Universities, research institutions, civil society and unions to critically diagnose the problem and collectively come up with the best policy intervention to deal effectively with the issue at stake.