By Jennifer Nerkie Kenney
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has said the ongoing challenges in Ghana’s telecommunications sector, particularly regarding quality of service, are due to what he described as weak policy decisions, poor governance, and leadership failures over the past 10 years.
In a heated exchange with Abena Osei-Asare, Vice Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), at Monday, May 18 sitting, the Minister said the current government is taking steps under its “reset agenda” to improve service delivery and protect consumers from poor telecom services.
“Policy decisions and policy leadership ought to make sure that we take steps to protect the customer. I am saying that under this reset agenda and under a responsible government, we have done so,” he added.
Reacting to a question on why the quality of service is not commensurate with the profits made, Mr Sam George attributed the deficiency to a lack of policy direction and investment that, according to him, should have been made under the previous administration.
“Regulators have a role to protect the customer by taking policy decisions. You had a decade where there was poor leadership. Over the decade, the average number of cell sites per year was 223 sites. And I am saying to you that, in this year alone…,” he said, trailing off before he was interrupted by the Vice Chairperson.
The Minister did not complete his sentence before the interruption, which led to a heated exchange between the two. He argued that although companies within the sector pay taxes to government, policy direction should prioritise consumer protection.
“Private businesses are about making profits, and those profits they paid to you over eight years at the Finance Ministry as corporate taxes. Policy decisions and policy leadership ought to make sure that we took steps to protect the customer. And I am saying that under this reset agenda and under a responsible government, we have done so,” he said.
This drew another interruption from Abena Osei-Asare, who previously served as a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry under the Akufo-Addo administration, urging him to remain focused on the matter before the committee.
“I am not heckling you, but we beg you, just go straight to the point,” she said.
The interruption triggered a sharp response from the Minister, who accused the Vice Chairperson of attempting to derail his submission and asked the Chairman of the Committee, Samuel Atta Mills, to call her to order.
“This is unbecoming of a Member of Parliament. Please stop doing this. You have asked a question, I have the floor, you will let me answer the question. Let me finish,” he said.
Madam Osei-Asare later clarified that her intervention was only meant to ensure clarity and focus during the proceedings.
“When you come here and we address issues, it is not that we want to talk anybody down, never. But Minister, the situation is serious and that is all the sentiments I am trying to put across,” she said.
Mr Sam George explained that the government has provided policy direction since January, which has resulted in MTN preparing to roll out about 800 new sites, while Telecel is rolling out 350, making a total of 1,150 new sites expected to enhance service delivery.
