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CJA opposes sale of GT, but GT
officials think otherwise
Accra, July 24, Ghanadot/GNA - The Committee for Joint
Action (CJA) on Thursday expressed its opposition to
government’s intention to sell 70 percent of Ghana Telecom
(GT) to Vodafone International Holdings B.V. for US$900
million without regard to national economic, political and
strategic interest.
The group said the transaction was being carried out in such
haste as to deny Ghanaians the opportunity to discuss its
full significance.
However, sources close to GT have stated those opposed to
the sale of company do not have the full facts on the
ground, such as the Company’s financial position.
The source said GT was “just living from hand to mouth” and
struggling to survive the current competition because all
the other networks had international leverage in one form or
another, and it was vital for GT to have that kind of
international partnership.
The source said Vodafone was not only going to bring in
capital and technology but also to increase the
international call spread on all its international circuits.
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of CJA, speaking in a
press conference in Accra, maintained that the sale of GT
had been justified by false claim by government that
Ghanaians did not have the expertise to manage the company.
The group said they found it extremely strange that a
government which was able to find as much as US$186.4
million for the celebration of the country’s independence
anniversary, the decoration of the President and his friends
with medals, the purchase of two presidential jets and the
building of a presidential palace claimed that it could not
find creative ways of servicing GT’s US$400 million
indebtedness.
Mr Ablakwa said the government had not told Ghanaians the
whole truth about transaction, adding that, assets of GT
were made up of GT fixed lines and carriers services,
Onetouch Mobile Services, SAT 3-Fibre-optic gateway and
exZeed call services.
He said in addition, the government was handing over the
fibre-optic network of the Volta River Authority and the
National Fibre-Optic Backbone, which was not yet completed
and was financed with a Chinese loan.
Mr Ablakwa said by this transaction, Vodafone would become a
private monopoly in the fixed line business and the biggest
telecom player in Ghana.
He said the conversion of a public monopoly into a private
monopoly in a country with a very weak regulatory framework
was inimical to the interests of the people.
The group said as part of its mobilizing effort they
intended to hold public forums across the country to
facilitate meaningful discussion of the deal by Ghanaians,
adding that, the CJA was firmly committed to mass
mobilization to reverse the “obnoxious deal”.
The source said the international roaming calls which Areeba
was routing through GT and providing substantial revenue to
the company were virtually gone.
It said with the takeover of Areeba by MTN all its
international calls were now re-routed through their
partners in London and this had affected GT revenue
substantially.
GNA
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