Accra, Ghana – The leadership of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and its members have paid a courtesy call on the newly appointed Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, to congratulate him on his new role and offer their full support in advancing Ghana’s digital economy.
The meeting, held at the Ministry’s offices in Accra, provided a platform for engaging discussions on key industry challenges, policy directions, and opportunities for collaboration between the government and the critical telecommunications industry. In attendance from the Chamber were all the CEOs and country managers of MTN, Telecel, AT, ATC, Helios Ghana, CSquared, Ericsson and Huawei. The Minister was accompanies by some of his leadership team as well as the Acting DG of the NCA and some of his leadership team members.
Telecom Industry Lays Out Key Concerns
During the engagement, the Chamber and its members—comprising Ghana’s leading telecom operators and service providers—highlighted several critical issues impacting the industry. These included but are not limited to the following:
🔹 Protection of Telecom Infrastructure – Members expressed concern over the rising cases of fibre optic cable cuts, theft of telecom batteries, and vandalism of critical infrastructure, which have disrupted services and increased operational costs.
🔹 Access to Telecom Sites – The industry highlighted challenges with local chiefs and landowners demanding excessive fees or blocking access to telecom installations, leading to service disruptions and higher costs.
🔹 High Taxation on the Sector – The Chamber noted that telecom companies pay over 42% of their revenue in taxes, levies, and fees, and urged the government to review sector-specific taxes to encourage investment and affordability for consumers.
🔹 Spectrum Allocation & Network Congestion – The telecom companies appealed for additional spectrum releases to address increasing data demand, improve service quality, and expand connectivity nationwide.
Minister Samuel George Commits to Strong Collaboration
In response, Hon. Samuel Nartey George reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the telecom industry to address pressing concerns and advance Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
“We recognize the critical role of telecommunications in Ghana’s economic development. Our focus is to build a digital economy that benefits all, and we will ensure that the industry has the necessary support to thrive,” he stated.
The Minister outlined several key action points for industry collaboration. Below are a few:
- Regular Engagements – He assured the Chamber that the Ministry will hold and also facilitate regular formal engagements with key stakeholders to maintain open communication and collaborative problem-solving.
- Infrastructure Protection Laws – Hon. Samuel George expressed strong support for drafting and enforcing harsher penalties against fibre optic cable vandalism and telecom equipment theft among others.
- Industry Support for National Digital Programs – The Minister urged telecom operators to play an active role in the government’s “One Million Coders Program”, which aims to train Ghanaian youth in digital skills and software development.
Industry Optic Fibre Minimum Specifications and Standards Manual
The leadership of the Chamber, went on to present a copy of its Telecommunications Industry Optic Fibre Minimum Specifications and Standards Manual which sets out the minimum industry specification and standards for the deployment of fibre optic cables in Ghana. The self-regulatory document was developed by benchmarking industry standards from Europe, Egypt and countries with successful fibre deployment systems and the experience of the Ghanaian operators.
On his part Hon. George, assured the Chamber that the standards will be carefully considered by the NCA and incorporated where possible into the Authority’s standards going forward.
A Shared Vision for Digital Growth
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications welcomed the Minister’s vision for the sector and pledged its commitment to supporting national digitalization efforts. The Chamber’s leadership assured the Minister that they would work collaboratively with the government to drive technological innovation, enhance digital infrastructure, and support policies that foster economic growth.
As Ghana continues to navigate its digital transformation journey, this meeting marked a crucial step in aligning the goals of government and industry to build a more connected, inclusive, and competitive digital economy.
