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Minister of Communications calls on management of Tigo

By GNA
Business & Finance Minister of Communications calls on management of Tigo
APR 28, 2017 LISTEN

Accra, April 28, GNA - The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has applauded Tigo for remaining a strong competitor in the telecommunications industry over the past 25 years through continual and timely transformation to the needs of Ghanaians.

'The gains you have made operationally and financially over the last few years are really impressive and I commend you for that. I have seen the remarkable improvement in your network quality and I want to assure you of my commitment to building the right foundation for this industry to thrive,'' she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said this when she and her two deputies; George Nenyi Andah and Vincent Sowah Odotei, paid a working visit to the head office of Mobile Network Operator, Tigo, in Accra.

They were welcomed by the management team and given an overview of the business by the Chief Executive Officer, Ms Roshi Motman.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said: 'I am enthused that we share a common agenda on digital and financial inclusion. The Ministry is keen on using digital financial services and mobile money to increase uptake and mop up excess liquidity in Ghana.'

She said the Ministry would soon begin a review of all the policies on telecom regulation and mobile financial services.

'It is no secret that Ghana's telecom policies are outdated and need to be thoroughly reviewed. I am keen to getting all your inputs for this process,' she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful pledged to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to find a solution to all their challenges.

Ms Motman, who gave an overview of the business, drew the ministers' attention to the challenge of fibre cuts which continues to have a negative impact on network availability.

She pointed out that the company suffered from an average of one to three fibre cuts a day (depending on the season) mainly due to civil constructions along fibre routes and called on the Department of Urban Roads, Ghana Highway Authority, the Ministry of Communications and other relevant agencies to find a lasting solution to the problem.

She entreated government to consider telecom infrastructure as a basic utility that needs to be protected through policy formulation.

Ms Motman said there was the need for 'Right of Way' privileges secured from government to be enacted fairly without discrimination when it came to relocation of fibre infrastructure resulting from road constructions.

The Minister and her team toured the offices, the flagship store, and the Tier-3 Data Centre of Tigo on the Barnes Road.

They were briefed on the operations of Tigo Business to support small and medium entreprises, corporate and government agencies and Tigo's commitment to deepening digital and financial inclusion through various social investment and mobile financial services.

GNA

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