In his third round of ministerial appointments, President john Dramani Mahama has nominated Samuel Nartey George (MP) to head the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations.
This is contained in a statement issued and signed by the Spokesperson of the President Felix Ofosu Kwakye on Tuesday (21 January).
The nomination of the former Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Communications Committee, follows weeks of speculation about who will become the sector minister for the critical telecommunications sector.
The Road Ahead
When confirmed as Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Sam George is expected to lead initiatives that will drive Ghana’s digital transformation. Key priorities will likely include:
Building a conducive and supportive policy and regulatory environment.
Championing the review of the tax regime especially as it pertains to smartphones, industry-specific taxes, VAT and levies on imported services among others.
Championing the protection of industry infrastructure.
Implementation of measures to reduce the cost of doing business and ease of doing business in the telecommunications industry.
Tackling the indebtedness of government to industry players.
Etc.
Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications congratulates Samuel Nartey George
The leadership of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, having worked with the former Deputy Ranking Member, has congratulated him and expressed hope of a collaborative and harmonious working relationship that will lead to the growth of the entire industry for the benefit of mother Ghana.
Ghana has emerged as the leading country in the world when it comes to countries with regulatory frameworks that enable widespread mobile money adoption.
This was contained in the 2024 Mobile Money Regulatory Index (MMRI) by the GSMA, which is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem. Ghana beat 89 other countries including the likes of Brazil, Mexico, Rwanda, and Qatar to claim the top spot with a leading Index Score of “95.06” points. The other countries that rounded up the top were Rwanda (95 points), Qatar (94.21 points), Malawi (93.88 points)and El Salvador (93.75 points).
(The top 10 countries. Source: GSMA)
The breakdown
The Mobile Money Regulatory Index (MMRI) which has 6 broad dimensions, is further broken down into 40 indicators which are scored according to relevant criteria assessment. While Ghana scored a perfect 100 points in 3 of the 6 dimensions, including “Transparency and Disclosure Requirements”, “Authorisation” and “Consumer Protection”, it recorded a low figure of 83.75 points under the “PolicyEnablement” dimension due to its poor performance under the “Taxation (0 points)” indicator.
(Source: GSMA)
Impact of the E-Levy
A further interrogation of the data showed that the presence of discriminatory taxation (mobile-specific taxes) imposed on mobile money services in Ghana impacted the score recorded under the “Taxation (0 points)” indicator. The absence of the E-Levy and any other discriminatory taxes on mobile money would have led to Ghana being awarded 100 points which would have seen the country’s world-leading score of 95.06 points rise further.
The Index
According to the GSMA, the Mobile Money Regulatory Index was first developed in 2018 to provide a non-binary and objective assessment of the extent to which regulatory frameworks enable mobile money services to thrive. Until 2021, the index was comprised of 28 indicators clustered in six dimensions, with each indicator scored based on both qualitative and quantitative scoring metrics.
The key regulation issues forecast to be top of mind in 2025 include artificial intelligence, data protection, the digital economy, digital public infrastructure, and competition.
(Source: https://www.menosfios.com/)
As the new year gets underway, technology and its related business environment will be characterized by numerous policy and regulatory discussions around the need to address ongoing and emerging issues, either through revisions to existing frameworks or the formulation of new measures and approaches to market regulation.
With the ongoing evolution of technology and the changing complexion of the marketplace, there is a need to provide an enabling environment in which innovation, consumer and business interests are protected, while at the same time appreciating that such deliberations and resulting actions can never really define any end games for a sector that is constantly in flux.
Some of the key issues that will occupy discussions among policy makers, regulators, civil society and the business community include artificial intelligence (AI), the digital economy, digital public infrastructure (DPI), data protection, and competition.
To a lesser but equally crucial extent, ongoing discussions on improving data protection, social media and cybersecurity frameworks can be expected to continue.
Artificial intelligence
AI regulation was one of the areas of key focus across the continent in 2024.
Two main sides emerged – one was against regulation, reasoning that regulating AI would stifle innovation and slow adoption. The other side looked beyond innovation and adoption and viewing AI through a consumer protection lens, looking at the possible harmful and ethical issues relating to AI.
While there have been huge advances and greater adoption of AI across different sectors – with some already demonstrating tangible benefits – AI has also brought with it unsavory application areas. These include using AI as a tool to enable cybercrime (for financial fraud, phishing and social engineering) as well as in the social and political space with misuse intended to spread falsehoods and misinformation via AI altered text, images or videos.
AI regulation will still be a key focus across the continent in 2025. (Source: Image by DC Studio on Freepik)
Existing laws relating to data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, and misuse of computers and intellectual property, have been useful in the interim as a framework to address some of these areas, but in most cases they are not explicit enough to tackle these problems squarely and with any degree of finality.
At a continental level, AI has been discussed at the Africa Union (AU), where a draft policy was published in 2024, with several countries already making individual pronouncements in the form of sector guidelines.
Looking ahead, the way forward will very likely be paved with soft regulations that take the form of guiding principles to which all stakeholders must adhere, while at the same time continuing to draw on or amend existing regulations.
The steady march by business and consumers into the digital sphere, as well as the need to address the requirements of tech-savvy consumers who require new channels to transact, is bringing about the gradual realization of digital economies, with more and more organizations undergoing digital transformation.
One natural consequence of the shift into virtual spaces is the need to ensure tax collection is not affected; authorities are continuing to explore modalities that allow them visibility over the amount of business that happens online.
This has necessitated different measures to gain visibility over business that happens online. Current measures include the onerous task of conducting audits of business and individuals using different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as e-commerce platforms, as well as compelling providers (including telcos, streaming services and platform providers) to add levies to their subscription fees, in order to reduce the administrative load on revenue authorities.
In some cases, sizing up the digital space has involved working with payment gateway operators who have good visibility over such transactions between businesses and consumers.
Broadly speaking, the legal framework on which digital economies can be enabled includes laws, polices and guidelines that touch on taxation, data protection and privacy, intellectual property and social media use.
During 2024, several African countries adopted different approaches to handing the digital economy, and it can be expected that, during 2025, these measures and existing laws will undergo further streamlining, amendment and harmonization.
Digital public infrastructure (DPI)
While DPI is still largely nascent, the push by governments and multilateral development agencies (whose ambitions relate to closing the digital divide and supporting transparency, among other areas) is something that will merit a review of existing laws.
Many have bearing on how DPI can be enabled since DPI inherently raises concerns about data protection, fraud, freedom of information, mobile payment regulation, digital identities and infrastructure sharing.
Thus, it can be expected that discussions on implementing DPI will pick up pace as different stakeholders explore modalities on how this can be leveraged to deliver services to citizens.
Competition
The move by satellite providers in different countries into the connectivity space is being met with some degree of consternation by some local Internet service providers and mobile operators, who mostly claim it makes the playing field uneven for them, with some indicating that such players are not subjected to the same regulatory oversight as local players.
In some cases, local players are the ones who have taken the initiative to strike deals with satellite operators who offer direct to mobile connectivity arrangements that allow them to plug voice and data coverage gaps and reduce their infrastructure spending.
Between 2023 and 2024, players like Starlink gradually increased their footprint across Africa, though it has not been easy sailing in some markets where regulations either require local ownership or the requirement to work with channel partners through whom authorities can gain visibility on operations for the sake of taxation and consumer protection issues.
It should be noted that, at the outset, satellite players were indulged on the premise that they could help address rural coverage.
However, as has been noted in many countries, urban areas have been the focus for the simple reason that affordability is an issue in most rural areas.
As such, most new subscribers are in urban areas, which has unseated that premise about closing the rural digital divide.
Between 2023 and 2024, Starlink gradually increased its footprint across Africa but also faced challenges. (Source: Starlink)
In 2025, it can be expected that regulators will move to respond to concerns by local players, by introducing new licenses as well as ensuring such players are compliant with pricing guidelines set out.
It can also be expected that discussions by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on spectrum, rural connectivity, etc. may have some bearing on how these players operate.
Data protection
In 2024, only 36 out of 54 African countries had enacted data protection laws.
At a continental level, despite the Malabo Convention (on cybersecurity and data protection) being adopted more than a decade ago, when it came into force on June 8, 2023, only 15 AU countries had ratified it, limiting its continental credibility. This itself hampers efforts at harmonizing data protection laws as well as limiting collaboration on cybersecurity.
Data protection concerns keep morphing and will remain on the horizon for quite a while.
Ongoing digital transformation, including by government entities, coupled with new business channels, mobile applications, and know-your-customer (KYC) principles by financial institutions are among other areas that will keep data protection in focus.
It can be expected that this convention will be reprised at the AU during 2025 as individual countries continue to address data protection.
Spectrum costs
It should be expected that spectrum costs will be among the areas up for discussions, in some cases based on lessons learned from 5G spectrum auctions for which many operators have yet to realize returns on investments.
Therefore, pricing at auctions may require a review based on market realities and the potential exploitation of spectrum for different applications.
The spectrum gravy train may not have dried up yet, but it has certainly slowed down.
Cybersecurity
Just like data protection, cybersecurity is a constant feature in the ICT landscape in Africa.
With more and more cyberattacks registered in 2024, a good part of discussions on policy and regulation will invariably feature cybersecurity in 2025 because the risks are not bound by borders and threat actors can be either in African countries or outside of them.
The need to enable collaboration across the continent and globally will underpin discussions on cybersecurity in 2025.
Misconceptions About Telecom Companies Involvement During Elections
1.Q: Do telecom companies support political parties?
A: No, telecom companies do not support political parties.
2.Q: How involved are telecom companies in monitoring and collating election results?
A: Telecom companies are not involved in monitoring and collating election results.
3.Q: Do telecom companies sell our data?
A: Telecom companies are law-abiding and do not sell customer data as the Data Protection Act, 2012, Sections 88 and 89, prohibits the purchase and sale of personal data.
4.Q: Why am I receiving messages from political parties?
A: The political parties could be using their own generated database.
5.Q: Do telecom companies listen to customers’ phone conversations?
A: No. Telecom companies do not and are incapable of listening to customers’ conversations. Such a practice is unethical and would infringe on customer privacy.
6 Q: Can telecom companies interfere with or manipulate election results?
A: No. Telecom companies cannot access the voting systems or election data to manipulate election outcomes. Telecom companies act as independent bodies and are not party-affiliated. You can be assured of our neutrality.
7. Q: Are telecom companies involved in the election processes?
A: No, telecom companies are limited to ensuring stable connectivity throughout the election process.
8. Q: Can telecom companies intercept voting information?
A: No. Voting data is typically encrypted and transmitted securely by the Electoral Commission, and telecom companies cannot access those systems or databases. Telecom companies strictly adhere to data privacy principles in their operations.
9. Q: Can telecom companies block or throttle election-related content?
A: As ethical and responsible corporate entities, telecom companies remain politically neutral throughout the election process. We do not post or support political content and will take down any election-related content that would compromise our position or reputation. This does not affect the constitutional rights of Directors or staff to post any election-related content.
10. Q: Can telecom companies collude with governments or parties to manipulate elections?
A: No. This is highly unlikely due to our commitment to high ethical standards, regulatory oversight, legal frameworks, and adverse reputational risks.
11. Q: Have telecom companies been implicated in election interference in Ghana?
A: No telecom company in Ghana has ever been implicated in election interference.
12. Q: How are telecom companies demonstrating election integrity?
A: Through collaboration with all stakeholders within the electoral ecosystem. Telecom companies are committed to a culture of openness in the conduct of their business. In line with their Code of Ethics, telecom companies, directors, and employees are prohibited from engaging in any activity compromising the various companies’ political neutrality or public perception.
The telecom companies’ position does not diminish their respect for the constitutional rights of directors or employees to personal participation in the election process and rights to absolute privacy.
Leadership and members of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, the EMIs Chamber of Ghana, and the Cyber Security Authority, have reiterated the need for the general public to be careful in how they receive, interact with and disseminate information both online and offline. The advice was given during separate educational engagements in Accra on Friday October 25, 2024.
The first stop of the engagement, which was part of the 2024 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) under the theme “Combating Misinformation/Disinformation in a Digitally Resilient Democracy; Our Collective Responsibility”, was at the Labone Senior High School in Accra. During the hour-long engagement, experts from the telecommunications industry educated about 3,000 students and teachers, on the dangers of misinformation/disinformation and provided tools to help them identify and counter misinformation, while protecting themselves, their loved ones and their properties.
The various presenters (including Regine Bambara, Gillian Boateng, Samuel Bartels and Angela Adu-Ampofo) who took time to highlight the differences between misinformation and disinformation, also stressed on the need for the students to not just be careful of how they interact with and share information they encounter, but to also protect their personal information from unscrupulous sources.
In addition to the importance of verifying sources, the speakers also touched on fact-checking information, and critically evaluating the credibility of news sources before sharing or believing them. The students were also taught how to spot common tactics used by purveyors of fake news, such as sensational headlines, clickbait, and misleading images.
During and after the engagement, students actively asked questions, which were addressed by representatives from the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, the EMIs Chamber of Ghana and the CSA.
Later in the day, the team extended the campaign to the National Mosque of Ghana, where they engaged hundreds of worshippers on the same issue of misinformation and disinformation along with their varied negative impact, as well as steps to combat the menace.
The speaker Mr. Ibrahim Musah who was joined by the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the EMIs Chamber Ing.Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, representatives of members and representatives of the CSA, emphasized the importance of critically evaluating information before sharing, especially as the country approaches an election year. Mr. Ibrahim further stressed on the need for the worshipers present and online, to play their part in limiting the spread of misinformation and disinformation, debunking same, and leaving a holy life to the benefit of all.
On his part Ing. Dr. Ashigbey thanked the leadership of the National Mosque of Ghana for the opportunity to educate and engage the worshippers. In his earlier interaction with the students at Labone SHS, Ing. Dr. Ashigbey stressed in the need for the students to prioritize their understanding and utilization of new technology.
NCSAM 2024
This year’s NCSAM themed “Combating Misinformation/Disinformation in a Digitally Resilient Democracy; Our Collective Responsibility” aims to spotlight the widespread issue of misinformation and disinformation, particularly their potential to undermine electoral integrity, peace, and security.
Organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation, the month-long program is designed to foster collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, developing comprehensive strategies to curb the spread of false information online.
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, in partnership with the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana, has successfully trained a total of 200 students and 50 teachers in the Shai Osudoku District of Greater Accra in Coding, 3D Printing and the Internet of Things (IoT) as part of its “Coding Caravan” initiative funded by the Chamber. The students were selected from 21 schools in the district, while the teachers were selected from 50 separate schools in the district.
In an interview on the sidelines of the training workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, expressed hope of witnessing innovative solutions being birthed by the participants to tackle societal issues across the country in the short to medium term.
“We want to get to a stage where a child that we are training today can come up with a solution to deal with a challenge that surrounds them. We have been focused on doing this in the communities and environments where, as a Chamber and our partners, we can return because we want to spend the majority of our money not on our boarding and lodging but rather on teaching the kids.”
He also called on corporations to support the Coding Caravan team to scale up the initiative: “Any corporate body that wants, we can show you the proof of concept. We can show you how it is done and its impact. You don’t need to give the money to us. You can decide to sponsor a community of your choice; we’ll bring the volunteers and partners, and we’ll come to your community and deliver this course.”
The participating students were introduced to Scratch, a free programming language that allows users to create interactive stories, games, and animations. They also explored 3D design, printing, and the IoT,gaining hands-on experience in these crucial areas.
To ensure the long-term impact of the project, Dr. Ashigbey stressed the importance of also training teachers in the above-mentioned areas. This approach equips educators with the skills needed to continue the initiative’s goals independently as it expands to new schools. He noted the shift from theory-based to practical teaching methods, aiming to better prepare students for real-world challenges.
He urged citizens to support the initiative through various means, including providing transportation and internet access, as the project plans to extend from Accra to Paga.
Ms. Dorothy Klutse, Digital Skills Training Supervisor at the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana (IIPGH), led sessions on “thinkatoys” and 3D printing within the IoT framework. She demonstrated practical applications of IoT, such as improving traffic light functionality through internet connectivity, among others.
According to Ms. Klutse, it is critical for the Ghanaian child to be introduced to world of IoT and 3D Printing among others. “The things we’ve thought today will significantly impact the children as the world continues to become a global village. I would like to highlight the importance of the children learning about the internet-of-things (IoT) as well as concepts like artificial intelligence. They would in the future use such platforms to develop innovative solutions to our problems.”
Addressing the students, Nana Yaa Amoah Bediako, Apagyahemaa of Asamankese, encouraged them to use ICT positively. She advised, “Instead of misusing ICT, use your access to computers and phones wisely. With data, you have a gateway to the global world, offering opportunities to learn new and beneficial things. Avoid wasting time on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram. Instead, you can learn new words, skills, or hobbies. For example, I learned how to make fula and granular online.”
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications remains committed to empowering the next generation through responsible and innovative use of ICT, fostering a brighter future for all.
The Coding Caravan Project has previously reached communities such as Tsiame, Nsawam, Akyem Oda, Agona Swedru, and Ofoase Ayirebi and trained about 1,500 pupils and 250 teachers across these areas.
CSquared, a leading technology company, committed to a digitally connected Africa, has joined hands with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, the Institute of ICT Professionals, Ghana (IIPGH) and the Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs) Chamber of Ghana to organize coding training for some selected schools in the South Tongu District in the Volta Region of Ghana.
The program, which came off on June 28, 2024, featured activities designed to introduce 236 pupils, from upper primary to junior high school levels, and 50 of their teachers to the basics of coding and animations using the Scratch application software, 3D designs using Tinkertoys, and an introduction to IoT through hands-on experience with Arduino kits to build a traffic-light system.
In an interview with the media on the sidelines of the event, Stephen Gefli, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of CSquared, emphasized the company’s commitment to giving back to society through their C-Serve project, which focuses on societal upliftment. “We are proud to support the Coding Caravan initiative and collaborate with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and IIPGH to ensure its success. Our goal is to extend our support to more communities, enabling students to develop essential digital skills,” Gefli stated.
Dr. Ken Ashigbey, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the EMIs Chamber of Ghana, highlighted the critical need for ICT centres in districts and villages to provide continuous practice opportunities for students. “A one-day awareness programme is not sufficient to achieve our objectives. Establishing ICT facilities will enable pupils to practice regularly and develop their skills effectively,” he noted.
David Gowu, Executive Director of IIPGH, expressed his excitement about the initiative, stating: “This year, the Coding Caravan is back on the road, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. We aim to expand and enhance this programme by bringing more partners on board and increasing our impact. Our ultimate objective is to establish coding clubs in schools, enabling students to participate in coding competitions, foster innovation, and create solutions that benefit our country and Africa as a whole.”
Gowu also mentioned that resources and funding are limiting factors for the programme’s growth, but they are focusing on raising awareness through a comprehensive roadshow called Accra-to-Paga that will navigate major towns, cities, and villages across the country, culminating in the northernmost region. Additionally, training sessions for teachers who have access to government-supplied computers and school labs are planned to equip educators with the necessary skills and knowledge to integrate coding into their teaching practices.
CSquared’s sponsorship of the Coding Caravan is a testament to their dedication to fostering digital skills and innovation among young people in Ghana, ensuring that students can benefit from continuous support and development in the ever-evolving technological landscape.
The event, which was hosted at the Comboni Technical Vocational Institute School and graced by the traditional leaders of the town, ended with the presentation of a brand new laptop to the school with the most active students during the days sessions, Sogakope D/A Basic School.
The Vice President and the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has been urged to prioritize and resolve key challenges that continue to plague the fortunes of the telecommunications industry as well as the digital payments ecosystem in Ghana if he wins the 2024 elections. The calls were made by the leadership of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) and the Electronic Money Issuers (EMIs) Chamber of Ghana.
In a scheduled engagement on June 7, 2024 at the secretariat of the two Chambers in Accra, the NPP’s flagbearer was taken through some of the key issues affecting players in the two industries.
For the GCT, the following key issues among others were discussed;
A conducive and supportive policy and regulatory environment
An enabling tax regime
Protection for industry infrastructure
Cost of doing business and ease of doing business
Indebtedness to industry
Development of the needed human capital for the industry
Increasing smartphone penetration across Ghana
Issues discussed for the EMIs Chamber meanwhile included;
Repeal of the E-Levy law
Facilitation of cross-border payments
Driving digital payments for People to Government as well as merchant payments
Enabling policy and regulatory environment
Cost and ease of access to the Ghana card database among others
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications was led by its Chairman, the CEO of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai, Acting CEO of AT, Leo Skarlatos, CEO of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, CFO of ATC Ghana, Bright Owusu Bempah; and Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey the CEO of both Chambers.
The EMIs Chamber of Ghana was, on the other hand, led by the founding chairman of the Chamber, Philip Amoateng, the Director for Telecel Cash, the Acting Managing Director of AT Money, Mohammed Alhassan and other representatives.
On the NPP side, Vice President and flagbearer for the NPP, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia joined the two Chambers with the Honourable Minister for Communications and Digitalisation Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, immediate past majority leader and Chairman of the NPP manifesto committee for election 2024 Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Prof Kwaku Appiah-Adu the Senior Policy Advisor, Vice President’s Secretariat, Dr. Augustine Blay, Executive Secretary to the Vice President among other team members.
The meeting forms part of the efforts of the two Chambers, to share their key issues with all parties ahead of the December 7 elections, with the hope that the issues are captured in their respective manifestos and implemented once they come into power.
The NPP Flagbearer, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in his remarks to the room, highlighted his support for the sector especially spearheading the implementation of Mobile Money Interoperability in the country as Vice President. He expressed his commitment to ensuring that all the issues raised in the Telecoms Manifesto and at the meeting are worked on, working in close collaboration with members of both Chambers.
As part of both Chambers’ plans of meeting the flagbearers of the parties with representation in parliament, the two Chambers earlier in the week met with the NDC flagbearer H.E John Dramani Mahama on June 3, 2024. The Chamber had earlier shared the Telecoms Manifesto with all political parties. The next step for the Chamber would be to review the manifestos of all the political parties to find out how much of the Telecoms Manifesto has been incorporated into the political parties’ manifestos. Then in 2025 monitor and advocate for the implementation of plans and policies of the ruling party to ensure that the issues raised in the Telecoms Manifesto are implemented for the benefit of the country.
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) and its sister outfit, the EMIs Chamber of Ghana, have called for increased attention and support for the telecommunications industry as well as the digital payments ecosystem.
The calls were made during an engagement session between leadership of the two Chambers and the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and his team on Monday, June 3, 2024, in Accra, at the secretariat of the two Chambers. The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications was led by its Chairman, the CEO of Telecel Ghana, Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai, Acting CEO of AT, Leo Skarlatos, CEO of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, the Managing Director at Helios Towers Ghana, Angelo Govina and Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, CEO of both Chambers.
The EMIs Chamber of Ghana was, on the other hand, led by the founding chairman of the Chamber, Philip Amoateng, the Director for Telecel Cash, the Acting Managing Director of AT Money, Mohammed Alhassan, CEO of Mobile Money Limited, Shaibu Haruna, Edem Kpodo, the Operations Lead at G-Money, and other representatives.
On the NDC side, Former President and flagbearer for the NDC, H.E John Dramani Mahama, joined the two chambers with the Honourable Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George and other team members.
The meeting, which lasted about 2 hours, touched on key issues and challenges affecting members of both the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the EMIs Chamber of Ghana.
For the GCT, the following key issues were discussed:
A conducive and supportive policy and regulatory environment
An enabling tax regime
Protection for industry infrastructure
Cost of doing business and ease of doing business
Indebtedness to industry
Sustainable promotion of local content, among others
Issues discussed for the EMIs Chamber meanwhile included:
Repeal of the E-Levy law
Facilitating cross-border payments
Driving digital payments for People to Government as well as merchant payments
Enabling policy and regulatory environments
Cost and ease of access to the Ghana card database, among others.
The meeting forms part of the efforts of the two chambers to share their key issues with all parties ahead of the December 7 elections, with the hope that the issues are captured in their respective manifestos and implemented once they come into power.
The flagbearer, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, gave his vision for the sector in which he had played active roles over the past 3 decades as Deputy Minister, Minister, and even Vice President and President. He assured members that all the issues raised in the Telecoms Manifesto and at the meeting would be dealt with, working in close collaboration with members of both chambers.
As part of both chambers plans to meet the flagbearers of the parties with representation in parliament, the two chambers are expected to meet with the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on June 7, 2024.
gaining hands-on experience in these crucial areas.
