Industry News Imported

Vodafone has introduced a new and innovative campaign, “Shake” in line with a promise to give customers confidence and optimism about the future of technology.

The campaign is an industry first sensation that allows customers to purchase bundles, enjoy free data and weekly rewards by simply shaking their smartphone device after downloading and registering their details on Vodafone’s interactive mobile app – ‘MyVodafoneApp.’

Thousands of Vodafone customers have already won free airtime, free data, free music content and tickets to various programmes after the initiative was launched barely a week ago.

Agnes Emefa Essah, Sales and Marketing Director at Vodafone Ghana said;

“The Shake campaign affirms what we mean by leading the industry as the most innovative and creative network in Ghana. The power of telecommunications is its ability to adapt to the changing times and we see Shake as an added impetus to show our customers that we are committed to giving them unmatched experience. Shake is also an avenue for the youth to find a common platform to connect.”

The campaign is part of a concerted approach to give customers a reason to be optimistic about the future of technology; being confident that Vodafone will never renege on its commitment to them.

Shake utilises the MyVodafoneApp platform, which is a unique mobile application that consolidates all customer needs in one place.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Accra, Nov. 7, GNA – Vodafone Ghana has partnered the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to launch a not-for-profit “Big Data for Good” initiative aimed at using mobile-derived customer insights to make better predictions for sustainable development.

The concept will use data from mobile networks to make life-saving decisions, especially in a world which continues to be transformed by technology.

A release issued by Joakim Reiter of the Group External Affairs of Vodafone, and copied to the Ghana News Agency said Vodafone Ghana, Vodafone Group Foundation, GSS and Flowminder, a non-profit organisation have come together to lead the way in using “anonymised data” to track trends in population movements.

It said the data could be used for the purposes of decision-making in the health, agriculture, and transportation sectors among others, adding that the partnership was one that would support Ghana to use valuable metrics in making better analyses and predictions for the greater good of all.

The initiative is also expected to help the country to better measure the Sustainable Development Goals indicators.

“We are leading the way in supporting Ghana’s drive to undertake significant reforms to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.”

It said with close to five billion telecommunication subscribers globally, the power of the mobile phone could not be underestimated.

“Mobile data is now dictating the pace by helping countries and organisations to make better analyses and predictions and Ghana is in a unique position to become a trailblazer across the continent.”

“Our partnership with the Statistical Service, Vodafone Foundation and Flowminder is one that will ultimately prove why data from mobile networks can become a force for the good of society,” it said.

Mr Baah Wadieh, the Acting Government Statistician was quoted as saying that “Our stock-in-trade is to produce big and relevant data that inures to the benefit of the country and its people.”

He noted that there were opportunities and benefits of using “Call Data Records” to create transformation in many countries across the world and that it was not doubtful that the initiative would transform and impact on social lives in Ghana.

“The GSS will ultimately take ownership of the project with data reports from Vodafone Ghana, while Flowminder will ensure that effective mechanism is in place to mine and analyse the information for significant public benefit,” Mr Wadieh said.

The not-for-profit initiative programme is receiving generous funding from the Hewlett Packard Foundation.

Source: GNA http://www.ghananewsagency.org/social/vodafone-and-statistical-service-launch-initiative-124637

Parliament on Tuesday passed the Communication Service Tax Amendment Bill; paving way for government to compel the various service providers to raise a total of 45 million Ghana cedis.
The alleged amount is an amount owed the state in tax arrears.

The bill was introduced into Parliament by the Finance Ministry with proposals to clarify aspects of the original act thought to have ambiguities regarding interconnectivity-related levies.

Deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson said government only seeks to clarify issues with the amendment.

Meanwhile the amendment deleted the clause that proposed that tax be paid by the recipient of foreign calls.

Mr. Ato Forson however, said communication service providers should be okay without an increase in call rates. According to him there will be no condition for an upward adjustment in call rates from communication service providers.

‘’There should not be any justification for call rates to go up on condition of the CST taxation.”

Meanwhile the Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of

Telecommunications, Kwaku Sakyi Addo said government failed to address the concerns raised by the chamber. “Our understanding was that the bill was withdrawn for further consultations, but there has not been any consultation with us [ Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications].’’

‘’We had taken initiatives to meet with government but it had not happened;and this actually came to us as a bit of surprise.”

Mr. Sakyi Addo expressed disappointment and said he is hopeful that the chamber gets its point across in spite of the passage of the bill.

Source: Citi FM