Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has officially outdoored Telecel Ghana after the parent company; Telecel Group, acquired a majority shareholding in Vodafone Ghana. The company has, therefore, been rebranded into 'Telecel' to expand economic access to communication. Telecel Ghana has, thus, taken over the operations of Vodafone's fixed telephone lines, internet services, voice and data services, as well as cash transfer and other business services. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Accra Monday evening, Dr Bawumia lauded Telecel Group's decision to invest in Ghana's telecommunications landscape and urged the multi-national company to uphold the highest standards of ethics, transparency and corporate governance. 'In the ever-evolving technological landscape, innovation remains key to staying afloat,' he said, and entreated the telecom firm to provide its customers with accessible, safe, affordable and reliable network always. 'In today's fast-paced world, access to reliable and efficient communicati on is not just a luxury; it is a necessity for socio-economic development.' Dr Bawumia noted that expanding access to communication infrastructure would create opportunities for economic growth and social empowerment for the underprivileged in the society. 'Telecommunication is central to Ghana's digitisation goals. It plays a pivotal role in shaping the modern society because it connects people and empowers communities'. Telecel Group's decision to invest in Ghana was a testament to the conducive business environment created over the past few years, Dr Bawumia said, and that Ghana had witnessed a profound transformation in her telecommunications landscape. 'In fact, I am proud to state that under this administration, the number of rural telephony sites, which is aimed at promoting digital inclusion and reducing the digital gap, have increased from 78 at the end of 2016 to 1,010 as at February 2024,' he stated. Works are also underway to build an additional 1,006 sites this year, bringing the total to 2, 016 sites. 'Additionally, we have introduced technology neutrality, which has allowed increased capacity within the industry to serve more customers using existing spectrum allocation,' Dr Bawumia said. 'Telecel has leveraged this opportunity to introduce its 4G+ spectrum.' The Vice President outlined government's bold step to implementing the ECOWAS Free Roaming Services, noting that though it was adopted in 2016, Ghana's free roaming services agreement with Cote D'Ivoire in June 2023 presents the first of such arrangements. 'Ghana has also signed an agreement with Togo to begin free roaming services between the two countries this year.' 'The National Communications Authority (NCA) is also engaging Benin and Gambia to establish similar bilateral agreements'. He expressed delight to see the emphasis placed on inclusivity and accessibility in services as Ghana, like in many parts of the world, still had underserved communities with limited access to telecommunications infrastructure. 'By expanding your reach and investing in infrastructure development, you are not only expanding access to communication but also creating opportunities for economic growth and social empowerment for the underprivileged'. In 2023, mobile money transactions hit a record GHC199.3 trillion, which represented 64.3% increase from the previous year. The opportunities that the Mobile Money platform, backed by the introduction of Mobile Money Interoperability, had created was enormous, he added. Dr Bawumia commended Vodafone Ghana's role in the mobile money transactions and urged Telecel to strive to do more since mobile money was one of the surest ways to promoting financial inclusivity. 'I applaud your commitment to corporate social responsibility through the Telecel Foundation and Africa Start-Up Initiative Programme (ASIP). 'Your initiatives to support education, healthcare, and support for start-ups reflect your dedication to making a meaningful impact beyond business success. 'This aligns perfectly with our government's vis ion of building a more equitable and prosperous society for all Ghanaians'. He challenged Telecel to look beyond physical infrastructure and make sure that corporate social responsibility included a deliberate investment and development of the digital capabilities and capacities of young Ghanaians across the country at all levels. 'As we celebrate this momentous occasion, remember that you also have a role in shaping the future of our nation.' 'I have no doubt that this brand will not only thrive but also contribute significantly to the advancement of our nation's telecommunications sector.' Madam Patricia Obo-Nai, the Chief Executive Officer, Telecel Ghana, recalled the trajectory of the telecom company, dating back to 1974 as P and T and transitioned to Vodafone Ghana in 2009. It currently has more than six million customers using its mobile telephone network with over 200,000 on fibre and thousands of others patronising its cash transfer services. Madam Obo-Nai assured the company's numerous customer s of its readiness to providing innovative services to them and impact more lives in the coming years. Source: Ghana News Agency The sectors of agriculture, education and roads are slated to reap big in the 2024/2025 national budget. Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Budget and Appropriation Ndindi Nyoro has noted in the Sh4.188 trillion budget, more funds were factored to facilitate provision of various subsidies in the agricultural sector. On Monday, the Kiharu MP said that the coffee advance cherry fund would get an additional of Sh2 billion to cushion farmers from fluctuation of local and international prices. 'We want coffee farmers not to earn less than Sh80 per kilo of coffee. Money is factored to increase the advance cherry fund from Sh4 billion to Sh6 billion. The dairy sector will also get money to ensure farmers will not get a litre of milk at less than Sh50,' said Ndindi during a public participation on road construction in Murang'a town, Monday. Ndindi underscored the largest budget the country has ever had saying it's targeting to improve socio-economic status of Kenyans and especially those who have vent ured in businesses, manufacturing and agricultural sectors. 'Still in agriculture, the government aims to lower funds used to import edible oils. The country spends more than Sh150 billion annually to import edible oil but in the next financial year budget, money is allocated to promote farming of crops like sunflower that facilitate manufacturing of edible oils,' remarked the legislator. Ndindi said through import substitution, seeds of the crops used to manufacture edible oils would be procured and distributed to farmers so as to have yields which would lower dependence on importation of edible oils. On roads, the MP said Sh220 billion is allocated for development of roads across the country. 'Sh70 billion of the amount proposed for roads will be provided by the government and the remaining sum will be sourced from development partners. The allocated figure also includes recurrent expenditure that is maintenance of continuous maintenance of the roads,' he asserted. Ndindi further observed that the educ ation sector is allocated Sh670 billion part of which would be used to employ teachers. 'Sh26.6 billion from the amount allocated for education will be used by the Teachers Service Commission to absorb the 20, 000 intern teachers into permanent basis. Another more than Sh30 billion will be used to employ 20, 000 additional teachers,' said Ndindi. The education sector, the MP noted, needs more funding to implement various reforms including ongoing implementation of competency based curriculum. Source: Kenya News Agency Oshikoto regional council chairperson, Samuel Shivute has urged the inhabitants of the region to pay close attention to the challenges they face, including the lack of clean water and recommend various solutions. Shivute made the remarks during a regional consultative meeting held at Omuthiya by the National Planning Commission on the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) on Tuesday. He said the region continues to experience a lack of water in most rural areas and there is a need for boreholes and upgrading of water treatment reservoirs and pipelines to ensure that the challenge is addressed. Shivute also informed the meeting that the region lacks proper roads, more specifically feeder roads in most areas of Eengodi, Okankolo, omuntele, and Nehale lya Mpingana constituencies which hinder development as most of the services are inaccessible. 'We have a high unemployment rate and a lack of school infrastructure mostly in the rural parts of the region such as classrooms and hostels, and tertiary institutio ns,' said Shivute. NPC executive director (ED) Wilhencia Uiras said that they are in consultations with regional councils and all stakeholders both agents and beneficiaries of development to formulate the NDP6 through which the NPC spearheads and coordinates national socio-economic planning. 'The NDP6 will be the last in the series towards Vision 2030 to be implemented from March 2025/2026 to March 2030/2031 financial years,' said Uiras. She said that the NDP6 calls for all stakeholders, agents, and beneficiaries of development to work together and leverage synergies in executing programmes and projects and discourages dependencies and recipient syndrome. The Oshikoto Regional Council's acting Chief Regional Officer, Peter Ndawedwa said that the region will play a crucial role in the implementation of the NDP6 by aligning regional development efforts with national priorities and coordinating development activities. 'We will collaborate with relevant stakeholders to mobilise resources and implement infras tructure projects effectively,' said Ndawedwa. Source: The Namibia Press Agency
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