Telecommunication network giant, MTN, has reversed the planned to increase cash-out fee for mobile money.
It had earlier announced that starting Saturday, July 1, 2023, customers will experience an adjustment in fees for cash-out transactions that exceed a specific threshold [GH¢2,000 and above].
The GH¢20 flat rate charge on withdrawals of GH¢2,000 and above will be deducted directly from the customer’s wallet.
But in a new message dispatched to customers on July 27, 2023, the mobile network operator said the review has been withdrawn.
It noted that the current fee of 1%, which is capped at GH¢10 remains the charge on all withdrawals.
“Y’ello valued customer, the planned review of the cash-out fee for MoMo has been withdrawn. The current cash out fee of 1%, capped at GH¢10 still remains and will be charged to your wallet. Do not pay any other fees, We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the SMS read.
MTN, a prominent telecommunications company recognized for its leadership in the industry, has made a public announcement regarding an imminent alteration to be implemented in the near future for its mobile money withdrawal transaction fees.
Starting from July 1, 2023, customers will experience an increase in fees for cash-out transactions above a certain threshold.
In a recent SMS circular sent to its customers, MTN MobileMoney Limited informed them about the adjustment.
According to the circular, cash-out transactions below GH₵2,000 will now attract a fee of 1% of the transaction amount.
However, for cash-out transactions of GH₵2,000 and above, a flat fee of GHS20 will be charged directly from the customer’s wallet. The circular also emphasized that customers should not pay any additional fees to Mobile Money agents and should simply use the “Momo” platform for their transactions.
Presently, MTN charges a maximum fee of 1% for cash-out transactions up to GH₵1,000, and a fee of GH₵10 for all cash-out transactions exceeding GH₵1,000. Under the new fee structure, the 1% fee will only apply to amounts below GH₵2,000, and the maximum fee has been doubled to GH₵20.
This adjustment in mobile money withdrawal fees by MTN has garnered attention among its user base.
The mobile money withdrawal transaction charge will increase to GHS20 for all withdrawals of GHS2,000 or more starting on July 1st, according to telecommunications behemoth MTN in a broadcast.
Telecommunications giant MTN has in a broadcast said its outfit will increase mobile money withdrawal transaction fees to GHS20 for all amounts GHS2,000 and above effective July 1st.
In an SMS circular to customers, MTN MobileMoney Limited said, “Y’ello Valued Customer, kindly note that effective July 1, 2023, Cash out transactions below Ghc2,000 will attract a fee of 1%. Cash-out transactions from Ghc2,000 and above will attract a flat fee of Ghc 20. This will be charged to your wallet. Do not pay any other fee to any MoMo agent. Just Momo it”.
Currently, the maximum fee charged for cash-out is 1% for any amount up to GHS1,000 and GHS10 for all cash-out transactions above GHS1,000. But per the new circular, the 1% is now applicable to amounts up to GHS2,000, and the maximum fee is now doubled to GHS20.
It also means from July 1, 2023, any cash-out transaction between GHS1,000 and GHS2,000 will also attract more than GHS10.
This comes in the wake of economic hard times when citizens are complaining of skyrocketing inflation, increasing prices of goods and services, job losses, and low income.
Ghanaians have also had to live with an obnoxious 1% electronic transfer levy (e-levy) for the majority of digital financial transfers they make.
MTN is, however, yet to explain the rationale for the increase in cash-out transaction fees at this time.
MTN Ghana has provided digital skills training to 100 female artisans in Damongo, located in the Savannah Region.
The telecommunications giant has been strategic in contributing to Ghana’s gender equality drive in the digital space through various training programmes to empower women.
The 100 beneficiaries, who are business owners in hairdressing, tailoring and other artisanal work, were empowered with digital skills – in a day’s training on 15 June – to improve their businesses.
MTN Ghana’s territory controller for the Savannah Region, Mathew Abugbilla, said the training is part of the “MTN Ghana 21 Days Yello Care” programme with the aim of providing the necessary skills for the women in social media marketing, costumer experience, bookkeeping and financial literacy.
Abugbilla said, “Basically, we want to help our artisans to know how to handle their costumers, use social media as a tool for business and to differentiate between their business and personal accounts.”
He emphasised that the training will make women in the region more economically viable. He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the trainees, saying he is confident they will apply the skills to their businesses.
Abugbilla stated that a team from MTN Ghana will facilitate monitoring visits to the beneficiaries to assess the effect of the training on their businesses and apprentices.
The annual event aims at increasing the participation of MTN staff in high impact social projects to empower the local communities where the company operates. This year’s theme is: “Empowering communities to drive economic recovery.” It is in line with the company’s Ambition 2025 to build digital skills for digital jobs.
He hinted that the telecommunications giant anticipates more funding to train more women next year. The digital transformation officer for iValley Ghana – a non-governmental partner of MTN Ghana’s Yello Care programme –, Emmanuel Konny, said its main objective is to get everyone on board in the digital world regardless of age, gender or location.
Konny stated that iValley Ghana is willing to offer digital support to the public, especially beneficiaries of MTN’s training.
The trainees commended MTN Ghana for the support. The Savannah regional chairwoman of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association, Alice Wanye, said the training is the first of its kind in the region. She said it will go a long way to help them manage their businesses well.
The programme, which started on 1 June, will end on the 21 June.
Despite a significant reduction in his take-home pay over the previous two fiscal years, Ralph Mupita, President and CEO of MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom services provider, is one of Africa’s highest-earning CEOs.
Mupita’s annual remuneration dropped significantly to $1.13 million in 2022, compared to the $1.4 million he received in 2021, even as MTN Group reported robust profits and revenues at the end of its 2022 fiscal year.
Data tracked by Billionaires.Africa revealed that the 18.8 percent decrease in Mupita’s total earned remuneration can be attributed to a decline in his short-term incentive (STI) allocations for 2022, tied to the incremental progress made toward the company’s targets.
Mupita’s STI earnings experienced a 30.7 percent decline, falling from $893,000 in 2021 to $619,000 in 2022. This occurred despite the group’s profits rising from R16.99 billion ($901.3 million) in 2021 to R24.26 billion ($1.29 billion) at the close of the 2022 fiscal year.
What you should know about Ralph Mupita
Ralph Mupita assumed the role of Group President and CEO of MTN Group on September 1, 2020, following his previous tenure as Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to his time at MTN, Mupita served as the Chief Executive Officer for Old Mutual Emerging Markets, where he provided financial service solutions across 19 countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Since joining MTN, Mupita has played a pivotal role in strengthening the Group’s financial position, shaping its strategic direction, and overseeing its successful listing on the Nigerian and Ghanaian Stock Exchanges.
His diverse background, encompassing expertise in engineering, construction, financial services, and telecommunications, has made him a respected and influential figure in the corporate world.
MTN’s financial performance under Ralph Mupita
Under Mupita’s leadership, MTN Group has witnessed remarkable growth, with profits and revenues escalating from R19.65 billion ($1.04 billion) and R179.36 billion ($9.5 billion) in 2020 to R24.26 billion ($1.29 billion) and R207 billion ($11 billion) in 2022, respectively.
While Ralph Mupita’s total remuneration has decreased in recent years, his exceptional contributions to MTN Group’s success have solidified his position as one of Africa’s highest-earning executives.
As he continues to steer the company towards further growth and expansion, his impact on the telecom industry remains substantial.
The speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin’s SIM card has been deactivated despite registration, according to Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram.
Over 8 million unregistered SIM cards were deactivated by the various telecommunication firms after the May 31 deadline announced by the government for the registration exercise.
Although the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has been scheduled to appear before Parliament on Thursday, June 8, 2023, to apprise the legislators on the exercise, Sam George stressed the need for the Minister to appear on time to address concerns raised regarding the process.
“Over 8 million SIM cards have been disconnected including the [that of the] Speaker of Parliament. His official SIM card has been disconnected even though it was registered in the name of the Parliament of Ghana. My SIM card was [also] disconnected.
“We are insisting that the National Identification Authority provides us with theGhana Card, so we can register our SIM cards. It is important that the Minister appears before us to answer questions, if possible, even today because people’s livelihoods have been affected and people’s mobile monies have been stacked due to the disconnection.”
Abdul-Jalil Yakubu, the Assemblyman for Tatanaa South Electoral Area – LaNMMA, has called on the government to provide financial payment for assemblymen due to the significant expenses they encounter while serving their respective constituencies.
Abdul Yakubu highlighted the various demands placed on assemblymen, often requiring them to seek quick loans to address pressing needs within their communities.
Speaking in an interview with Andy-Asante Okyere on Radio Univers on June 1, 2023, he revealed the financial challenges faced by assemblymen in fulfilling their roles effectively.
He recounted instances where constituents approached him seeking financial assistance for various needs, including school uniforms, school fees, and basic sustenance for families.
According to him, such demands placed upon assemblymen are substantial and often require immediate attention, resulting in them borrowing quick loans to meet these pressing obligations.
“Andy (host), one day I will invite you over to come to my place and handle my phone for just 30 minutes and see something. I didn’t even know what we called a quick loan. I got to know about quick loans when I became an Assemblyman because sometimes you have to take a quick loan to support your members.
“…but every month, LaNMMA gives us GHS 800, but that money will not even last a week. Assemblymen need to be paid seriously because the things that we spend on, my brother, are not easy. I buy school uniforms for people, sometimes I pay for school fees for people. Someone can come to your house and say that today myself and my family haven’t eaten, so do something.
“But I am happy I have found myself there because it has shaped my personality. I have been able to understand human beings properly…I am telling you, assemblymen need to be paid,” he said.
About 11 million active Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards that have not been re-registered with the Ghana Card yet risk being disconnected today, Wednesday, May 31.
Following this development, hundreds of people, majority of whom are trying to register their SIMs for the first time, have thronged some National Identification Authority (NIA) centres in a desperate attempt to secure their Ghana Card.
The national card is the only prerequisite identification document admissible for the completion of the re-registration of SIM cards.
When the Daily Graphic visited some of the NIA centres, including the Premium Centre of the authority at its head office at Shiashie, Accra and other premium centres in some regions, there were long queues of last-minute card acquirers dashing to complete the process.
Many of the subscribers had come to link their Ghana Card with their SIM cards to satisfy the NCA requirement before the May 31 deadline.
While the centre with the capacity to process 650 applications sees no crowds, the long queues at the place has compelled the NIA to erect canopies outside its halls to accommodate the increasing numbers.
The Executive Secretary of NIA, Professor Ken Agyeman Attafuah, expressed regret that such a large number of people would rush to pay a premium fee of GH¢280 for a service they could have accessed for free a few weeks back.
He said it was the attitude of some people to relax in obtaining the Ghana Card until the deadlines were near.
Prof. Attafuah said based on its daily operational capacity, including that of its key partners, CAL Bank, coupled with limited cards at the moment, the NIA would not be able to issue all the people calling at its premium centres with cards.
“At the moment, given the reality and the debt owed the private partners, the public needing the service are finding recourse to the premium registration service not by laid down procedures, but by the zest and urgency of their needs and we are trying to cope with this,” he explained.
The NIA Executive Secretary said the authority had a daily capacity of about 650 at its head office and a little less of that at other premium centres, making it impossible to issue the thousands of people applying for the cards before the SIM card re-registration deadline yesterday.
He explained, however, that since the deadline was due, the NIA had to mobilise additional hands to serve all the applicants at its head office premium centre yesterday.
Prof. Attefuah said apart from NIA offices where the Ghana Card services could be accessed for free, additional registration points were established with the approach of the SIM card re-registration deadlines to ease the pressure.
“As a responsive state institution, we take no delight in seeing Ghanaians going through the anguish of queuing. So we made these opportunities and facilities available in anticipation that people would take advantage for free,” Prof. Attafuah said.
However, he said it had become the phenomenon that any time the deadline was extended, people became lackadaisical making most of the centres “ghost towns”.
“We see a phenomenon where anytime the deadline for the SIM card re-registration was extended, the additional re-registration points plus the traditional NIA offices become ghost towns and whenever the deadline is approaching then we have a situation of an avalanche of demands and in some cases people stampeding even though this is at a cost,” he pointed out.
Premium service
Prof. Attafuah said although the premium service required booking, the NIA, looking at the high demand due to the deadline, had opened its doors to the hundreds of people to help them beat the deadline even though they had not booked appointments.
He said the NIA had brought in canopies and chairs to accommodate the extra load of numbers and give them some comfort.
“It is a regrettable situation but it is the reality and we have to deal with it. It is unfortunate that so many people have to be in the sun and queue for so long for a paid for service that had been traditionally and customarily available to the public at no cost,” Prof. Attafuah said.
Extension
The Public Relations Manager of AirtelTigo, Felicia Thornhill, told the Daily Graphic that a lot more subscribers of AritelTigo visited its premises to begin the re-registration exercise yesterday, unlike the previous weeks and months preceding the May 31 deadline.
She said to help get all subscribers registered to avoid deactivation which would not benefit the business, the company had deployed most of its staff to the field to assist subscribers in the re-registration exercise.
Each staff has also been tasked to reach about 10 subscribers yet to complete the registration to remind them of the exercise and assist them to complete it.
“It will affect our business and so an extension would be appreciated as we have more customers who are yet to complete the registration exercise,” Ms Thornhill said.
Context
At the inception of the SIM re-registration exercise on October 1, 2021, there were about 42 million active SIM cards in the country.
They were made up of SIM cards registered with identity cards (IDs) such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards, passports, driving licence, among others.
The National Communications Authority at whose behest the re-registration started, said a lot of the IDs were not verified at the time they were used to register the SIMs.
After the first phase of the exercise, there were about 36 million active SIM cards in circulation as of last month, out of which 25 million (69.6 per cent) have been duly reregistered.
This means that over 25.4 million SIM cards had completed both stages one and two of the SIM re-registration which was done with verified Ghana Cards.
The remaining 11 million, representing 30. 4 per cent, include active SIM cards exempted based on various demographics and active SIM cards that have not been registered with the Ghana Card using the current process.
Already the NCA has deactivated about 6.1 million SIM cards which belonged to subscribers that had completed only stage one of the current registration process.
Tomorrow’s deadline for SIM cards re-registration follows a similar announcement of mass disconnection of unregistered SIM cards before April 17, 2023.
At the time, about 33.8 million, representing 79. 60 per cent had completed only the first phase of linking their Ghana Cards with the SIM cards, while 8.65 million subscribers, representing 20.40 per cent, had not linked their Ghana cards to their SIM cards.
The NCA, therefore, extended the deadline to rope in all subscribers.
TheNational Service Scheme(NSS) has announced that the Personal Identification Number (PIN) codes for nursing trainees who will be performing their one-year mandated national service in the next service year 2023/2024 have been released.
These 12,594 Ghanaian final-year nursing trainees, hailing from 107 accredited Nursing Training Institutions across the country, have fulfilled the criteria set by the Nurses and Midwives Council, Ghana Health Service, and Ministry of Health, thus making them eligible for deployment during their national service.
In a press release issued in Accra and signed by Mr. Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr, the Acting Director of Corporate Affairs of the National Service Scheme, eligible nursing trainees were urged to visit the NSS website (www.nss.gov.gh) and navigate to the “Applications” menu.
By using their assigned Students’ ID or Index Numbers from their institutions, they could acquire their unique NSS enrollment PIN Codes. Subsequently, they were required to make a payment of GHC40.00 at any branch of ADB Bank Ltd. or GHC41.00 through the MTN MoMo platform to activate the enrollment process.
The statement emphasized the importance for nursing trainees to personally complete the enrollment process in order to avoid any minor mistakes that might impact their subsequent deployment.
To ensure inclusion in this year’s postings, all eligible nursing trainees were advised to complete the enrollment process before the deadline of Friday, June 9, 2023.
It is expected that this initiative by the NSS will facilitate the smooth enrollment and deployment of qualified nursing trainees, enabling them to contribute to national service within the healthcare sector.
Local businesses across the country have been advised to pursue partnerships and joint ventures to increase their chances of excelling in their various industries.
The General Manager in Charge of Business at Tecno Mobile Ghana, Daniel Glover, said pursuing partnerships allowed all parties involved to fully explore areas where they had the most competitive advantages, pool them together and make more profits than they would have individually.
“There is a lesson that I want us to learn from this and it is that in Ghana and Africa, we can also trust one another and be transparent with one another and if we do, we can also attain great heights and make giant strides in the world of industry,” he added.
Mr Glover said that at the launch of the company’s new line of smartphones; the “Camon 20 Series” in Accra in collaboration with telecommunication giants MTN.
Present at the event were a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi; Musician and Brand Ambassador of the Tecno, Stonbwoy and the Chairman of the Mobile Phones Dealers Association, Joseph Osei Agyemang, among other industry players.
A Senior Manager for commercial planning and analytics at MTN, Guido Sopiimeh, commended the company for continuing to develop products aimed at improving the lives and addressing the device needs of Ghanaians.
Mr Sopiimeh, therefore, reaffirmed MTN’s position to continue its partnership with Tecno to develop devices to connect Ghana and Africa to the world by increasing smartphone penetration in the country and across the continent.
“MTN’s partnership with original smartphone manufacturers like Tecno is anchored on its strategic vision to lead digital solutions for Africa’s great and rooted in our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life”, he stressed.
As part of the launch, Stonebwoy, Mr Agyemang and 38 Tecno dealer companies were honoured with citations and a Camon 20 mobile phone for their commitment to the brand over the years.
The Camon 20 series of phones boast a sleek, modern design and a buttery-soft texture, which is easy to clean with waterproof, heat, cold, stain and abrasion-resistant benefits among a range of advanced features.
On Friday, May 5, 2023, the Data Zone bundle will once again be available to users, according to telecom giant MTN Ghana.
The return of the unique data bundle with updated fees was announced by MTN Ghana in a Short Message Service (SMS) to customers on Wednesday, May 3.
“Dear Valued Customer, kindly be informed that effective May 5th, 2023, Data Zone bundles will be available to you with revised offers,” the message read.
Scancom PLC, operators of MTN Ghana, in a press release announced the suspension of the Data Zone bundle on Wednesday, April 12.
According to the company, management had to halt the running of the service due to the cost of operation.
MTN Ghana also apologised to its “cherished customers for limiting our communications on this matter ” as its silence has caused public uproar.
Data Zone bundle is a package by MTN Ghana that gives customers a 1-day validity bundle at discounted rates at the point of purchase.
Following the national SIM re-registration exercise, MTN Ghana has reconnected 1,954,295 SIM cards that had been cut off.
3,804,940 SIMs are now left that are not connected. 5,759,235 users were dropped by MTN Ghana in November 2022.
Once the affected subscribers had finished their biometric capture, the connection was restored.
The National Communications Authority (NCA), in a letter dated March 20, 2023, instructed all operators to disconnect any numbers that had not finished their Stage 2 registration (the biometric capture) by March 31, 2023.
In response to that, MTN Ghana disconnected an additional 37,146 SIMs in March 2023, bringing the total disconnected SIMs per the regulatory directive to 5,796,381.
The NCA in a subsequent letter dated April 13, 2023, further directed that, all disconnected SIMs should be delinked from the SIM registration database effective April 17, 2023.
Consequently, 3,842,086 of the disconnected SIMs have been delinked from the SIM registration database.
MTN Ghana explained that it is committed to the national SIM re-registration exercise and will continue to deploy resources and work with the regulator to accelerate SIM re-registration for all subscribers.
Subscribers of mobile telecommunications networks in the country who are yet to register their SIM cards have been given a final deadline to register their cards for face sanctions.
The major telecommunication networks are encouraging all subscribers who have acquired their Ghana Cards to complete their SIM card registration by Monday, April 17.
Those who have registered more than 10 SIMs have also been directed to visit their nearest mobile network operator “to urgently verify their SIMs on record”.
This follows a directive from the National Communications Authority (NCA) to telecommunication networks to remove subscribers who are yet to register after the March 31 final deadline by Monday, April 17.
A press release issued by the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications noted how its members – AirtelTigo, MTN and Vodafone – have heavily invested in arrangements to ensure that subscribers who have their Ghana Cards and are ready to register do so at several touchpoints set up across the country.
The Chamber, therefore, said it will be complying with the directive of the NCA to completely deactivate all impacted subscriber SIMs “which have not completed the registration by the said date without any further notice or extension of time for subscribers”.
“It is important that the cherished customers of the networks are not barred from using voice, data, USSD, mobile money services and continue to have access to emergency and other important services.
“Subscribers with Ghana cards can avoid this inconvenience by completing stage 2 (the biometric capture) of the registration process.”
In response to a recent direction from the National Communications Authority (NCA) about the ongoing SIM re-registration process, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications announced that it will abide by the directive.
In a statement, theChamber said its members have been blocking services of subscribers who have not completed both stages of the SIM registration process as directed by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation since November 2022.
The NCA in a statement dated April 13, 2023, directed that all disconnected SIMs must be delinked from all databases by April 17, 2023.
This includes SIMs blocked in November 2022 for failing to complete both stages of the SIM registration process.
Additionally, all SIM cards registered after the limit of 10 per individual will be delinked, deactivated and removed from all databases by Monday, April 17, 2023.
The Chamber of Telecommunication is thus encouraging subscribers who have acquired Ghana cards but are yet to complete registration to do so before April 17, 2023.
It also urged subscribers with more than 10 SIMs registered to themselves to verify their SIMs on record at their nearest mobile network operator’s service centres urgently.
Furthermore, the Chamber stated that its members are obligated to completely deactivate all impacted subscriber SIMs which have not completed the registration by the said date without any further notice or extension of time for subscribers.
“It is crucial that the networks’ cherished customers are not barred from using voice, data, USSD, mobile money services and continue to have access to emergency and other important services.”
The Chamber added that subscribers with Ghana cards could avoid inconvenience by completing stage 2 (the biometric capture) of the registration process.
It emphasized that since the start of the SIM Registration Exercise, the members of the Chamber have invested heavily in arrangements to ensure that subscribers who have their Ghana cards and are ready to register, get registered at any of our several touchpoints across the country.
“For those that require special assistance to carry out the registration exercise, they are advised to contact their service provider.”
“Our members remain committed to supporting the efforts of all stakeholders to ensure that every customer in every part of the country is able to register their SIM card(s) with the Ghana card.”
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has instructed telecom companies to ensure that all SIM cards that have been disconnected are deleted from the registration databases.
The SIMs removed from the databases of the various network according to the NCA should reflect in the Central SIM Register by Monday, April 17, 2023.
The NCA’s directive, which provides clarity on earlier directives dated 6th April 2023, 11th April 2023, and 20th March 2023, stipulates that this should include SIMs that remain blocked in compliance with the Communication Minister’s directive on 30th November 2022.
Telecom operators have also been instructed to provide in writing to the NCA by Tuesday, 18th April 2023, the total number of SIMs disconnected in compliance with the directive.
Furthermore, the NCA has directed that “all SIMs registered after the limit of ten (10) must be removed from SIM registration databases and deactivated, with the same reflected in the Central SIM Register by Monday, 17th April 2023.”
The NCA has stressed that non-compliance with these directives would be in violation of Regulation 1 of the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011.
“We count on your usual cooperation,” the NCA added.
MTN, Ghana’s largest telecommunications company, is experiencing accessibility issues with its most affordable data bundle service, Data Zone bundle. Some customers of the network reported the service has been inaccessible since late yesterday evening, and the only response given is a generic message that confirms its unavailability. MTN has not yet released an official statement addressing the matter. However, since this is arguably the most widely used data bundle service by millennials and low-income earners, this development has caused inconvenience to many. One such customer, Madam Nutsugah, shared her experience of trying to purchase data to access important information on the internet. She reported that if a customer dials the short code 135# to purchase data, the feedback will be “Yello! This service is temporarily unavailable, Kindly dial 138# or 141# to buy your data bundles.” Meanwhile, the alternative number provided reflects as “Application currently not available, please try after some time.” She expressed her disappointment and frustration with the situation. This issue has caused significant problems for many Ghanaians who rely on data for their daily business activities. The unavailability of the Data Zone bundle service has led to difficulties in accessing vital information, communicating with clients and customers, and carrying out online transactions. The impact of this problem is especially severe for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and low-income earners who depend on affordable data services to run their businesses effectively.
On March 8, 2023, as part of celebrations commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day, the Corporate CommunicationsTeam of MTN Ghana hosted PR specialists of Women in PR Ghana (IWD).
Themed “Digital: Embracing Innovation and Technology as PR Women” the event saw MTN’s Corporate Communications Team engage and interact with over 40 young professionals from Women in PR Ghana, a professional networking organisation committed to educating, mentoring, and empowering female PR professionals and students.
The panel discussion, which was moderated by Lorrencia Adam Nkrumah, Communications Coordinator at Barry Callebaut had panellists including Gina Asare Fiagbenu – Senior Manager, Corporate Communications; Efua Falconer – Manager, Corporate Communications; Afua Serwaa Asafo-Adjei – Communication Advisor-Media Relations, Olivia Mifetu – Internal Communications and Sophia Tandoh – Regulatory Advisor at MTN Ghana.
Gina Asare Fiagbenu spoke about the importance of IWD and hosting PR professionals, saying it was crucial for seasoned PR professionals to mentor, nurture, and empower the upcoming generation of female professionals to assume leadership roles in Ghana’s public relations industry.
She said, “Over the years, the Public Relations industry has seen remarkable growth and advancement and as the profession continues to evolve and the younger generation explores careers in Public Relations and Communications, we need to push it forward by mentoring and nurturing them.
“With the advent of innovation and technology, the profession has become more exciting and interesting and opened up new frontiers. Technology continues to help us do better and work more effectively and efficiently as PR professionals.”
She urged the younger generation to take advantage of the expanding opportunities in the digital age to learn and get ready for the workforce.
Young PR professionals attending the event will have the chance to learn from seasoned professionals who have set the standard for the PR industry, according to Faith Senam Ocloo, founder of Women in PR Ghana.
She said it is good to learn from the best and express gratitude to MTN for opening its doors to them. She urged young and aspiring professionals to be willing to learn and serve.
Discussions focused on the critical role the Corporate Communications team plays in MTN, managing work-life balance, building a PR career, navigating conflicts, issues management, embracing and leveraging technology and innovation in PR, leadership, managing crisis, and media relations, among others.
The team also recognized the value MTN plays in Public Relations and the significant contributions MTN has made towards investing and supporting their work.
The MTN panel noted that the overarching theme of the 2023 International Women’s Day falls right in line with MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress and how they are leveraging the power of innovation, technology, innovative Public Relations trends, and digital touchpoints to enhance reputation management and to engage with customers in today’s digital world.
According to recent news reports, the mobile network operator, MTN, plans to invest $1 billion in Ghana after the government dropped its $773 million tax claims against the company. This decision by the government to drop the claims is expected to facilitate MTN’s future investments in the country.
MTN is the largest mobile operator in Africa and the Middle East. The company’s operations are spread across 21 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. MTN’s investments will be focused on boosting the country’s infrastructure, including the rapid deployment of fiber and the installation of 5G.
The tax dispute between MTN and the Ghanaian government had been on-going for several years. In 2019, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) demanded that MTN pay $773 million in taxes, including penalties and interest, for the years 2014 to 2018. MTN was accused of under-declaring revenue by 30%. MTN disputed the claims and took the matter to court.
However, in February 2023, the GRA announced that it had decided to fully drop the tax claims against MTN. The decision was made after negotiations between the two parties and was aimed at encouraging MTN to continue investing in the country.
(Image credit: Nicholas / JBKlutse Foundation)
MTN has been operating in Ghana since 2006 and is one of the country’s largest telecommunications companies. The $1 billion investment is expected to be made over the next three years and will be used to expand MTN’s network infrastructure and improve the quality of its services.
Overall, this decision by the Ghanaian government to drop the tax claims against MTN is seen as a positive development for both the company and the country. It is expected to encourage other foreign investors to consider investing in Ghana, which could help to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has entreated multinational companies opposing the imposition of the ‘back tax’ penalties to do so through legal means.
The authority in recent exercise imposed ‘back tax’ penalties on MTN, Tullow, Goldfields and Kosmos Energy. The companies have all indicated their positions to contest the claims by the GRA.
But answering some questions sent to the GRA by Joy Business, the authority said the companies have the right under the GRA Law to object to the tax imposition, after which the GRA will determine the case in 30 days.
If not satisfied, the authority insists the companies can appeal to the Independent Tax Appeals Board after making 30 percent payment of the surcharged back tax.
“We at the GRA welcome the decisions by some of the multinational companies to contest the back-tax penalties imposed on them. The law allows such remedies through layers of appeal to the GRA”, a source at the GRA told Joy Business.
Per the law, companies that appeal to the Independent Tax Appeals Board are required to make 30 percent payment of the taxes imposed on them.
Background
The GRA in a special auditing exercise has asked some multinational companies to pay millions of dollars in back taxes.
Gold Fields Ltd., Kosmos Energy Ltd. Tullow Oil and MTN Group Ltd were directed to pay back taxes. MTN was asked to pay $773 million while Tullow as ordered to pay $300 million.
It is not clear the fines imposed on Gold Fields and Kosmos.
The rates for MTN Ghana’s goods and services will increase beginning on February 7, 2023.
The review reflects two changes – first, the implementation of the statutory 2.5 percentage point increase in VAT from 12.5% to 15% across all services. This will affect both prepaid and post-paid customers.
Second, MTN Ghana is proceeding with a 15% average upward review of its mobile data tariffs which was originally announced in November 2022 and was suspended. The increase in mobile data tariffs will affect both pay monthly and pay-as-you-go users.
The review in mobile data bundle offers covers products available on the short codes 138 and 170, as well as on purchases through Electronic Voucher Distribution, MTN Pulse and Data Zone except for XtraTime. The data tariff increases do not apply to Fibre Broadband and Fixed Wireless Access (4G Router/Turbonet) customers.
With this review, voice users will receive less airtime because of the VAT implementation and mobile data customers will receive smaller data bundle allocations.
The chief commercial officer for MTN, Noel Kojo-Ganson, explained the impact by giving an example of how the new pricing will work. A customer who previously got 24.4 minutes’ airtime for GHC3 before the VAT increase will now get 23.9 minutes, while a GHC3 data bundle which previously gave 471 megabytes will now give 401 megabytes.
Explaining the reason for the new prices for services, Kojo-Ganson said recent shifts in the economy had led to rising operating costs, largely because of inflation. “These economic shifts have impacted us directly, and for us to ensure we have the right balance for sustaining growth and investment into the network, we have had to consider price increases in various segments of our business.
“MTN recognises that we are in very tough times and would like to assure our customers that we will continue to offer them the convenience and flexibility in the purchase of data bundles at their desired price points via the MTN Flexi and Non-Expiry Bundles. Also, customers will continue to enjoy the 50% bonus incentive on mobile data purchases via MyMTN App and MoMo (valid for seven days) for 4G customers,” he added.
Kojo-Ganson said that MTN remains committed to investing US$1 billion by 2025 to continue its network expansion and improve the network experience for its customers. The purpose of its growth plan targeting 2025 is to lead digital solutions for Africa’s progress.
The largest wireless carrier in Africa, MTN Group Limited, according to Bloomberg has declared that a tax bill for GH8.2 billion ($672 million) it received from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been cancelled.
According to a filing by MTN on Friday, the decision was reached following “extensive and productive discussions” over the course of a 21-day negotiation period between the revenue authority and the mobile phone provider (February 3, 2023).
The Ghana Revenue Authority surprised Ghana’s largest corporate taxpayer last month with an unexpected claim for the years 2014 to 2018. This led to the decision to drop the tax payment.
The potential fine represented about 5% of MTN’s market capitalisation and the government’s decision “removes a threat to this year’s shareholder returns,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst John Davies said in a note.
Some of the biggest firms in the country have been under pressure from the Authority to pay millions in overdue taxes.
Similar bills were sent to Gold Fields Limited, Kosmos Energy Limited, and Tullow Oil Plc.
The businesses all refute the government’s assertions.
Ghana’s rising debt and high loan servicing costs prevented it from accessing foreign capital markets.
The government has been forced to allocate most of its revenue to service an estimated GH¢576 billion of public debt.
It is restructuring most of its obligations amid a slump in the cedi and is seeking a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
South Africa’s Foreign Minister, Naledi Pandor, has called on mobile operator MTN Group and the Ghana Revenue Authority to find a solution to a $773 million tax dispute.
Earlier this month, MTN said the Ghana Revenue Authority issued the company’s subsidiary MTN Ghana with a bill for back taxes after auditing it for the years 2014 to 2018 and inferring that it had under-declared its revenue by about 30% during the period.
MTN, which has a presence in 19 countries in Africa and the Middle East, said at the time that it disputed the “accuracy and basis” of the assessment and that it would fight it.
Minister Pandor was briefed on the issue this week and called “on the parties involved to do everything possible to find an amicable solution,” South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.
MTN Ghana is strongly disputing an alleged tax infringement placed on the company by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) between 2014 and 2018.
According to the leading telecom firm, it is a tax-compliant corporate citizen and the tax liability notice of GH¢8,209,603,842.14 (US$773 million) issued against it by the GRA is unacceptable.
The assessment of ¢8,209,603,842.14 includes penalties and interest charges.
“In this regard, from the base component of the assessment (that is, excluding penalties and interest), on MTN Ghana’s analysis, the GRA infers that MTN Ghana under declared its revenue by more than approximately 30% over the 5-year period 2014 to 2018”, it said in a statement.
“The GRA audited MTN Ghana for the period 2014-2018, using a third-party consultant as well as a new methodology based on call data records (CDR), recharges, and other data. MTN Ghana strongly disputes the accuracy and basis of the Assessment, including the methodology used in conducting the audit. MTN Ghana believes that taxes due have been paid during the period under assessment”, it explained.
MTN Ghana believed the taxes due have been paid during the period under assessment.
The statement further said MTN Group and MTN Ghana will continue to engage with the relevant authorities on this matter and MTN remains resolute that MTN Ghana is a tax compliant corporate citizen.
Again, it said MTN Ghana would like to further assure its shareholders and other stakeholders that MTN Ghana is a responsible business with an absolute commitment to transparency, good corporate governance, and compliance.
MTN Ghana one of largest taxpayers in Ghana
MTN Ghana is one of the largest private sector taxpayers in Ghana, having been recognized on numerous occasions for its support of the GRA’s revenue mobilization efforts.
The GRA has also satisfactorily concluded multiple tax assessments on MTN Ghana over many years and presented MTN Ghana with various taxpayer awards in recognition of its contribution to the fiscal development of the country.
MTN Ghana thanked the GRA for its support throughout the process, especially allowing us a temporary withdrawal of the Notice of Assessment in a bid to resolve this matter in an amicable manner.
Background
In 2019, the GRA commenced an audit of MTN Ghana with the objective to give assurance on the reliability and completeness of revenues declared by MTN Ghana for the purpose of tax computation for the period 2014-2018.
The GRA had not issued MTN Ghana with any prior guidelines and standards relating to the new CDR sequence-based methodology used for the audit.
In May 2021, after consultations and discussions between MTN Ghana, MTN Group, the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Ghana and the GRA, the parties agreed to an independent review by a global professional services firm.
MTN Ghana has fully cooperated in this independent review, which was commissioned by the GRA in September 2021. The independent review found that it was unable to support the conclusions reached by the GRA’s third-party consultants as the basis for the assessment.
Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is demanding an amount of US$773 million from MTN Ghana, the local subsidiary of the MTN Group, the South African mobile telecom giant.
According to documents sighted by GhanaWeb Business, the amount is in lieu of back taxes over a five-year period spanning 2014 to 2018.
It includes the unpaid tax sum along with penalties and interest charges, the MTN Group said on Friday (January 13).
The Ghana Revenue Authority issued MTN Ghana with the bill after auditing it for the years 2014 to 2018 and inferring that the company under declared its revenue by about 30% during the period, MTN said in a statement.
The telco stressed, however, that all previous taxes had been duly honoured and that it disputes the “accuracy and basis” of the assessment.
“MTN Ghana believes that the taxes due have been paid during the period under assessment and has resolved to defend MTN Ghana’s position on the Assessment,” the company said.
The MTN Group has a presence in 19 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Network subscribers who thronged theMTN office at Achimota Mall in Accra to register their SIM cards on Monday morning were unable to so.
The office of the telecommunication giant remained closed as at 10am.
Hundreds of subscribers whose SIM cards have been deactivated gathered in front of the office to register their SIMS in order to make and receive calls, as well as access data and SIM services.
MTN has deactivated the SIM cards of over 5 million subscribers.
As of November 26, 22,112,943 MTN Ghana subscribers had successfully linked their Ghana card to their SIM cards (Stage 1), while 16,411,794 had successfully completed the bio-capture phase (Stage 2).
On December 1, 2022, the National Communications Authority (NCA) deactivated the SIM cards of subscribers who had linked their Ghana card to their SIM cards but had failed to complete the biometric data registration.
According to the Ministry of Communications, these SIMs have been blocked because these individuals have deliberately refused to register their SIM cards despite having the Ghana card.
Meanwhile, the NCA has revealed that persons who have not commenced the process of registering their SIMS or do not have the Ghana card will not have their SIM cards deactivated.
It is expected that some network subscribers will be blocked from accessing data services from their network providers from today, November 20.
These are subscribers who have linked their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards but have not done the second phase of the registration process.
Ahead of November 20, some network providers via text messages reminded their subscribers yet to re-register their SIM cards to do so.
This forms part of measures introduced by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to ensure all SIM cards are re-registered in the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 11, Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, announced that effective November 30, all unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated.
“Despite the ample opportunity afforded all to complete the registration of their SIM cards, some who have the Ghana Cards and have begun the process have failed to complete the registration. That is their choice and we cannot begrudge them,” the Minister argued.
The SIM card re-registration exercise began in October 2021. Since then, there have been about four deadline extensions due to the low number of re-registered SIM cards.
Currently, a total of 30,011,082 SIM cards have been linked to Ghana Cards, thereby completing the first phase of the registration process.
As of November 9, 20,892,970 subscribers had completed both the linkage and capture of their biometric data.
The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG) has called on the government to consider effective and efficient ways of mitigating the negative impact of the E-Levy on agents.
In a research conducted by the association, they indicated that the E-Levyhas affected their operations; adding that there have been reduced transactions across mobile money platforms.
“The 73%, 80% and 69% respondents have observed reduction in total number of transactions, cash in commission and cash out commission respectively,” the association stated.
They added that “Again, despite having 27% and 17% of respondents hiring new workers and operating new shops, the net impact of the e-levy is negative on employment and expansion of business.”
The association explained that the majority of the respondents thus, the 55% and 45% respondents have laid off workers and closed existing shops following the implementation of the E-levy.
MMAAG believe these issues can be addressed through consultations with key stakeholders, particularly the agents’ association.
“Such discussions should prioritize the allocation of part of generated revenue towards the remuneration of agents, in the form of commission for playing a significant role in the e-levy mobilization process,” the association added.
The association is also calling on the government to reduce the current E-Levy rate, modify the exemptions of transactions and the daily threshold to ease the negative impact on consumers.
They stated that there is a need for further “broad effective bottom-top consultative approach to efficiently mobilize taxes that support economic growth and development by reviewing the existing e-levy.”
“Government should adopt proactive ways of engaging key stakeholders when introducing new policies,” the association added.
Telecom giant MTN has announced an increase in the price of data bundles, which takes effect on Monday, November 14, 2022.
In a widely circulated SMS text from MTN, it read, “dear Valued Customer, kindly be informed that effective November 14,
2022, data bundle prices will be revised upwards.”
The company, however, did not state the exact percentage of the price increase. Nonetheless, MTN stated that its 4G users would still enjoy a 50%
bonus for bundle purchases via the MTN app.
Currently, with GHC0.5, a customer can get 24.5 MB. With an amount of GHC 1 and GHC 3, MTN subscribers can enjoy a data package of 48.10 MB and 471.70 MB, respectively.
MTN’s upward review on the cost of data services, comes at a time when prices of goods and services continue to increase, pushing Ghana’s inflation rate
to 40.4%.
The new rates by MTN have been met with negative reactions from Ghanaians, especially on social media.
One Paa Kofi Tinagyei said, “I’m sure MTN Ghana sits around and asks, how else can we make the lives of Ghanaian Internet users harder. Otherwise, Eiiiii” Whereas Paul DestinyAmenuveve, Sepenyatso asked the rationale behind the new increment.
Unable to fathom the new increment he said, “MTN Ghana na here we reach? You can’t do this for sheege reasons. The data bundle nu edey use petrol?”
South Africa-based telecommunications company, Mobile Telephone Network (MTN), has decided to make an investment worth US$150 million in network connectivity infrastructure on the continent.
Chief Executive Officer of MTN Global Connect, Mr Frederic Schepens, who made this known during the inauguration of the company’s Network Operation Centre held in Accra, noted that the investment will improve its products and services in Africa.
This means the telecommunications international connect services, including voice, SMS, signalling and roaming capabilities would be improved.
MTN Global Connect is a digital wholesale and infrastructure services company operating within MTN, managing its international wholesale activities.
It is aimed at offering reliable wholesale and infrastructure solutions to fix connectivity issues and sell mobility solutions.
The Vice President lauded the telecommunication giants for their initiative, noting that it correlates with the government’s plans to transform the economy.
He believes “the tangible sign of Ghana’s digital transformation justifies our vision to benchmark the country against the best in the world.”
MTN Ghana accrued a profit worth GH¢2 billion for the 2021 financial year.
The company recorded a GH¢1.13 billion profit in the previous year. The current profit shows an GH¢87million increase, representing 43.5 percent increase.
MTN Ghana also paid an amount of GH¢2.8 billion as direct and indirect taxes to the government. The amount paid was from a fiscal contribution of GH¢3.1 billion made by the company.
Chairman of the board of MTN Ghana, Dr Ismael Yamson, has assured of the company’s commitment to being a strategic partner to the country’s development.
“In line with our commitment to creating shared value, we continue to make significant contributions through the creation of direct and indirect employment opportunities impacting over 500,000 Ghanaians, as well as interventions to support our people, our cherished customers, and other key stakeholders through the socioeconomic challenges brought about by the pandemic,” he stated.
The Mobile Telephone Network (MTN), a South Africa-based multinational mobile telecommunications company, has announced plans to invest up to US$150 million in network connectivity infrastructure to improve its products and services in Africa.
This is expected to boost MTN’s international connect services, including voice, SMS, signalling and roaming capabilities.
Mr Frederic Schepens, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Global Connect, made this known in Accra during the inauguration of the company’s Network Operation Centre.
MTN Global Connect is a digital wholesale and infrastructure services company operating within MTN, managing its international wholesale activities.
It aimed at offering reliable wholesale and infrastructure solutions to fix connectivity and sell mobility solutions.
Vice President Bawumia, who inaugurated the Centre, said the initiative was in sync with the Government’s digitalisation agenda to grow the Ghanaian economy and create jobs for the teeming youth.
He said Ghana had been undergoing a massive digital transformation and, therefore, positioning her as a prime destination for insourcing and outsourcing by multinational technology companies.
The choice of Ghana by MTN for its global network and service operating centres was further testament to the strides the country had made over the years and emerging as a destination of choice for global technology giants, Dr Bawumia stated.
“The tangible sign of Ghana’s digital transformation justifies our vision to benchmark the country against the best in the world,” he added.
Mr Ralf Mupita, the President of theMTN Group, in an address, said the Global Connect initiative was part of MTN’s 2025 Strategy to focus its resources and attention on the African continent to strengthen its fibre optic network to improve connectivity and services.
He acknowledged the current global economic difficulties and underscored the need for Africans to rely on themselves to accelerate socioeconomic growth, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
The GNAT Hall’s Bediako Hall was filled with joy and laughter last Saturday as a cross-section of Ghanaians were thrilled with the captivating Nii Commey Handwriting Play dubbed: “SKIRTS & SUITS.”
The play which MTN Ghana sponsored and helped stage was performed to honour this year’s International Customer Service Week.
A night of immersive corporate stage dramedy was presented to thousands of theater enthusiasts by the storytelling hub Handwriting Communications.
The story of angels and demons, of customer experience, interlaced with spicy corporate nonsense, knee-slapping, untamed characters a touch of the feminine spirit and masculine ego.
The play focused primarily on what happens in an organization in regard to customer service.
The play is a standard depiction of the comings and goings in a conventional corporate setting, with strong customer service underpinnings.
In Skirts and Suits, the contemporary corporate office was the point of action of all the drama that happens daily, with an urban fusion of exciting characters occupying the roles of customers, employers, customer service people, and the entire workforce who interface with the organization.
The story clearly exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly that happen in a typical office. What is more thrilling is the chronicling of the contemporary corporate woman and the vicissitudes that stare at them: the opportunities, and the temptations, power, position, and romance.
It was a night for service providers, corporate Ghana, and all who are customers in one way or the other. Patrons are being entreated to be expectant of something unusual.
Nii Commey Handwriting has, over the years, plopped the seats of theatre lovers with his timeless plays such as “Romantic Nonsense”, “My Name is Romance,” and “Where Two or More Women are Gathered.”
Handwriting Communications is an indigenous storytelling hub based in Accra, dedicated to using experiential storytelling tools for communication, education, and entertainment.
The Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr. Ishmael Yamson, has attributed the slow pace of the country’s development to greed and corruption on the part of political actors.
Successive governments have taken steps to ensure various sectors of the country are developed, but the progress has not been satisfactory.
Speaking at the Inter-Generational Dialogue organized by Pali Global in Accra, Dr. Ishmael Yamsonbelieves that leaders should be responsible to the people that voted them into office.
“The issue arises when it comes to execution and implementation. And I can tell you that in our country, we have only two problems; greed and corruption.”
Dr. Ishmeal Yamsonreiterated concerns of political actors failing woefully for not implementing their manifesto when they ascend into power.
“But I tell you, I take time to read manifestos but when it comes to implementing the manifesto it raises issues and this is because we are greedy and corrupt.”
“Whether it is about galamsey, Free SHS or whatever, if we don’t believe and behave like we are in the West, that we don’t touch state money because the punishment is just there, with this, whether NPP or NDC is in government, the country will prosper.”
“How long does it take to build the Western rail lines? It will never be built because of greed and corruption,” he insisted.
The Inter-Generational dialogue rallied young people across the country at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences to discuss issues of transformational leadership.
Ghana’s Mobile Telecommunication Company, MTN, has hinted at plans to launch an initiative to help manage plastic waste in the communities.
Senior Manager in Charge of Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, said the MTN Plastic Waste Management and recycling project would complement other efforts to ensure the environment is not covered with plastic waste.
“Today we are looking at our communities, we are facing challenges with our environment and so we are launching a plastic management and recycling project for our communities so that people would be mindful of how we treat plastic wastes in our communities”.
She stressed that without measures to control plastic waste, “then within a few years we may not be able to plant, we may not have water, and our trees may not grow because our environment would be covered in plastic wastes”.
Though not many details about the project were provided, she emphasized it forms part of the company’s initiatives, beyond their core mandate, to drive a sustainable society.
Georgina Asare Fiagbenu spoke at the MTN stakeholder and media forum in Sunyani in the Bono Region.
The forum is aimed at updating participants’ happenings at the Telecommunication giant and what is being done in the regions, including the network transformation.
Participants included selected personnel from the media in the erstwhile Brong Ahafo Region, security, and other state institutions. They were provided answers to their questions after group discussions on some selected topics on MTN services.
MTN currently provides Voice, Data, Fintech, Digital Enterprise, Wholesale, and Application Programming Interface (API) services.
The corporate communication manager of MTN, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu noted that their services keep evolving due to the dynamic nature of the industry and that the company intends to lead the digital solutions for Africa’s progress.
To achieve this, the company is prioritizing building the largest and most valuable platforms, driving industry-leading connectivity operations, creating shared value, and accelerating portfolio transformation.
Because of that, she said the company plans to invest about $1 billion by 2025 to help maintain its network leadership, with $220 million as capital expenditure for 2022.
She also revealed that they are investing ¢20 million in 2022 on their 25th-anniversary projects, ongoing projects in education, health, and economic empowerment, and their community support initiatives.
Ms Asare Fiagbenu encouraged participants to also encourage their friends and family members to register their sim cards to continue enjoying MTN services.
Residents, the bulk of whom use MTN, reported to Nyankonton Mu Nsem Prince Collins Bening that the bad network prevents them from placing calls or sending messages.
They assert that in order to make phone calls, they are need to climb trees or travel great distances.
Salisu Ibrahim, a local assemblyman, claimed that the majority of Asikesu township inhabitants switched their sim cards to MTN in gratitude for the establishment of a school nearby.
The workers have demanded, among other things, the immediate recall of all targeted members of the Telecom and IT Professionals Union (TIP) whose contracts have not been renewed by the employers by mere association with the Union and other Union leaders who are members of the current Joint Standing Negotiation Committee and Subcommittee negotiating the 2022 CA and salary increment. This demand was made in a statement dated August 31, 2022, which GhanaWeb was able to obtain.
“The Telecom and IT Professionals Union (TIP), made up of telecom engineers, technicians, I.T professionals, and other allied workers, who manage the key technical operations for the telecom operators, has served notice to the National Labour Commission (NLC) and their employers to embark on strike action in response to the direct attack by the employers at the leadership of the Union (From National, Regional and Branch) that has threatened the very existence of the Union and its members,†part of the statement read.
According to the union, these four employers – Linfra Ghana Limited, MP Infrastructure Ghana Limited, Reime Ghana Limited, and Reliance Personal Services – who are subcontractors and employment agencies of Huawei Technologies on the managed service operations of MTN, Vodafone, and AirtelTigo, have refused to sign a joint letter with the Union to refer to the pending issues that all parties have declared deadlock on since July 2022.
The pending items are as follows:
a. Determination of the Principal employer and the role of the principal employer in the employment relationship.
b. Provisions to re-negotiate to restore equilibrium in the CA.
c. Severance.
d. Professional Subscription Fees.
e. Workload and Working Tools (Laptops, Mobile phones, Data bundle and airtime, and Pickup vehicles).
f. Proposed Forty-five (45%) salary increment for 2022.
The group further noted that Ghana’s telecommunications system would be left on autopilot until its needs are addressed.
MTN has gifted a two-bedroom home to the woman who starred in the “Me nsa aka ooo” TV commercial that was released 13 years ago to promote MTN’s Mobile Money (MoMo).
The house, worth over GH¢300,000 is located at Doboro in Greater Accra.
In the commercial, she gave a testimony on how she instantly received the money on her mobile wallet when it was sent and shouted in twi to announce she has received the money, “me nsa aka oo” as against another character who was asking where the money was – “na sika no wo hen” [Ah! where is the money].
The 2-bedroom house was built in fulfilment of a promise made to Ms Tetteh two years ago at the MoMo 10th anniversary celebration in 2019.
At an event held at the premises of the house in Doboro, the leadership of MTN Mobile Money Limitedhanded over the keys of the building to her.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Mobile Money Limited, Eli Hini said the presentation was part of the company’s effort to honour and celebrate all stakeholders who contributed greatly to the MoMo journey.
“In view of the success chalked over the years, Mobile Money decided to honour all stakeholders who played very critical roles in the MoMo journey during our 10th anniversary celebrations,” Hini said.
MTN-Ghana has launched an internal campaign to motivate its staff to facilitate the SIM registration exercise.
The campaign dubbed: “GRAB, CHECK AND ACT (GCA)†is to encourage all staff, irrespective of their role to assist with the registration of customers.
A statement issued by the Acting Chief Corporate Services Officer for MTN, Nana Kofi Asare, said all MTN Staff have been tasked to check the registration status of customers they interacted with so that unregistered customers could be assisted to do so.
The statement also said MTN has deployed its field agents to communities with lowest registration numbers to get the customers registered.
Providing further details Chief Sales and Distribution Officer of MTN Ghana, Shaibu Haruna, stated that efforts have been intensified to leave no one behind as the programme nears its end.
“We are nearly at the finish line and so we have intensified our efforts to reach out to all our customers.”
He further entreated all customers rolled on to various data packages to ensure that SIM cards in their modems and other smart devices are registered.
“We have created many channels (including our online portal  simregistration@mtngh.com) to ensure our customers register with ease. We are encouraging them to use the available channels that are convenient for them to speed up the registration process,” he added.
The mandatory SIM card registration exercise commenced in October 2021 as part of efforts to curtail fraudulent and criminal activities facilitated by mobile phones or SIM-enabled devices by helping the authorities to ascertain real numbers valid and accurate SIMs on mobile networks.
It is scheduled to end on July 31, 2022.
Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, says her outfit would not extend the set deadline for the nationwide SIM card registration exercise.
Consequently, she said all unregistered SIM cards would be deactivated by the end of July this year, and advised mobile phone users yet to register their SIM cards to do so to meet the deadline.
Mr Stephen Asare, Area Sales Manager for Eastern, Volta and Oti Regions, MTN Ghana, has advised students to focus on the positive use of Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) to enhance their education.
He said ICT tools such as mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers, among others, connect students to many educative information sources and support out- class learning environment, which is a further boost to learning.
“In every situation, we have the positive and negative sides so MTN, a leading mobile Telecommunications Company, is more passionate about the positive use of ICT,” he noted.
Mr Asare advised students of Apimpoa Islamic Junior High school in the New Juaben South municipality where MTN presented a DELL laptop computer to the school and a training workshop for the students.
The gesture forms part of activities to mark this year’s “MTN 21 days of Yello Care Project,” under the theme: ” Empowering communities to drive economic recovery and job creation.”
The MTN Yellow Care Project was established in 2007 and observed annually in June, during which period MTN identifies challenges in society and offers help.
Hajia Latifatu Abdul Raman, Headmistress of Apimpoa Islamic Junior High School, thanked MTN for the kind gesture and said it would boost the students’ interest in learning ICT.
She, however, appealed to MTN Ghana and other charitable organizations for an ICT centre in the school.
Okwahu United FC has secured qualification to the next round of the MTN FA Cup after beating B.S Pelicans FC by two goals to nil in the preliminary round of the competition at the Blue Skies Park at Nsawam.
The team from Nkawkaw scored the two goals through Maclean Ampadu and Prince Asare.
B.S Pelicans, one of the top teams in the Eastern region division two league, could not contain the “Asase Aban” boys who were poised to make a difference.
Okwahu United, is currently the reigning Eastern Cup champions and has a formidable team ready to prove a point at this year’s MTN FA Cup competition.
The team is waiting for the next draw of the competition to know their next opponents.
The MTN Group, the pan-African mobile services operator, has said it is committed to its agreement with the government of Ghana to further localise its holdings in the country.
Last year, the group and the government agreed to increase local ownership in MTN Ghana by a further sale of 12.5 percent shares to Ghanaians.
In its 2020 annual report to investors released this week, the group said it remains committed to the agreement, which will increase local shareholding to 25 percent in MTN Ghana, also known as Scancom Plc.
Last year, MTN Ghana sought authorisation from shareholders for the implementation of an employee share scheme by way of an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) for lower-level staff and a Performance Share Plan for senior staff.
The total amount of shares subject to the scheme will be allocated on an estimated share price of GH¢0.60, representing about 4.41 percent of the issued share capital of GH¢1.097bn of Scancom Plc.
Efforts are also being made to localise 30 percent of MobileMoney Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scancom Plc, which is a licence requirement according to the Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987). The deadline to meet this requirement was extended by the central bank to January 15, 2022.
Significant market power
The company says it is optimistic of a positive result from discussions on its significant market power status that was declared by the regulator, the National Communications Authority, last year.
“Importantly, engagements and discussions with relevant stakeholders continued after they were briefly suspended leading up to the national elections in December 2020, and we are optimistic that these discussions will result in a positive outcome for MTN Ghana and the long-term sustainability of the industry.â€
2020 Performance
MTN Ghana recorded a profit of GH¢1.3 nillion last year, representing about 38.4 percent year-on-year growth. Total revenue was GH¢6 billion, a 16.4 percent increase over that of 2019.
The board of the company recommended a final dividend of GH¢0.05 per share, bringing the total dividend for the year to GH¢0.08 per share.
MTN Ghana subscribers increased by 23.4 percent to 24.4 million, whilst active data subscribers increased by 32.4 percent to 10.8 million.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has reacted to claims by journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, that government is seeking to shut down Joy FM and tame Telco giant, MTN Ghana.
According to the NCA in a statement, Mr Azure as a seasoned and well respected journalist should have refrained from commenting on the two issues knowing that they are in court.
It said “it should be noted that the two issues that the writer speaks about (Reclassification of FM Radio Coverage, which process commenced in 2013, and Declaration of Significant Market Power (SMP) in relevant markets, which process commenced in 2014), are in court.â€
“Mr. Azure Awuni, as a seasoned and well respected journalist, should have refrained from commenting in such a prejudicial manner on issues that have been put before court for determination by the parties that he seeks to defend. Further, Mr. Awuni owed the public a duty to have contacted the NCA for its side of the story,†the statement added.
“The Authority, in respect to the court and the laws of the land, will refrain from making any prejudicial comments thereto,†it said.
It added that “for the avoidance of doubt, all regulatory actions undertaken by the NCA are well intended to among others, protect the interests of consumers, promote competition in the provision of communications services and to serve the public interest.â€
“In doing so, the NCA acts in accordance with the relevant regulatory and legal framework. The general public is therefore entreated to disregard news, information and opinions which claim otherwise.â€
The NCA will continue to discharge its duties as required by the law and will also continue to ensure that all licensed and authorised players within the industry comply accordingly, it assured.
The National Communications Authority was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 524 in December 1996, which has been repealed and replaced by the National Communications Authority Act, 2008 (Act 769).
The Authority is the statutory body mandated to license and to regulate electronic communication activities and services in the country.
The benchmark index declined marginally by 7.24 points (-0.39%) as a result of a downward price movement in Ecobank Transnational (-14.29%) to close at 1,874.21 with a -16.97% year-to-date return.
The market capitalization was down 0.46% to settle at GH¢52.69 billion.
Accordingly, the GSE Financial Index shed 13.38 points (-0.77%) to close at 1,722.38 with a -14.72% year-to-date return while the SAS Manufacturing Index remained unchanged at 2,599.53 with a year-to-date return of -25.33%.
Trading activity strengthened as 521,918 shares valued at GH¢251,092 changed hands from 280,006 shares valued at GH¢169,989 in the previous session.
MTN Ghana dominated trades by volume and value, accounting for 45.39% of the total volume traded and 53.78% of the total value traded.
We expect activity levels to increase as investors take advantage of bargain stocks.
Kgomotso Christopher is a South African , and a skilled voice artist who has one of the nicest client care voice.
Kgomotso Christopher is the Mtn staff in the back of the voices: “you have one minute remaining, and you’ve got insufficient balance to complete this call” the phrase a lot of human beings do not like hearing. I use MTN damn it annoys me whenever am making and then I heart the voice you have one minute remaining, so you are the lady saying those stuff shay, lolzzz.
Kgomotso Christopher is a graduate from Columbia University in new York, USA. She has been operating for the cell telecommunications employer MTN, for six years. The identity of Kgomotso Christopher was currently Revealed, and this were given has given a lot of Mtn clients speaking as they marvelled on the Beautiful Mtn staff at the back of the famous voice.
But here are stunning, seductive and tempting photos of this lady, see below
Now that you have come across this ladies photo, isn’t she beautiful and tempting
MTN Group today announced a positive service revenue trajectory in the first quarter financial results for the year 2020.
Speaking on the results, MTN Group CEO, Rob Shuter said:
“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy have brought about unprecedented uncertainty. volalily and challenges which are impacting our markets a both the socio-economic and macro-economic levels. The impact of the pandemic on ou quarter one performance was not significant os lockdown restrictions for our consolidated subsidiaries were only implemented from the last week of March 2020.
We continued to build commercial momentum adding 6,6 million subscribers in the quarter, with active data users increasing by 2,9 million and MoMo Subscribers by 0,4 million. We continued to scale our Ayoba platform recording 2,6 million monthly active users. We accelerated our MoMo agency network in Nigeria, under our super-agent licence, adding 70 000 agents in the first quarter, bringing the total number of registered agents to 178 00.
On strategic progress, the digital business returned to growth, booking 15.6% in the quarter. In MTN SA the enterprise business recorded its second quarter of growth and in May we commenced phase 2 of the national roaming agreement with Cell C and look Forward to a continued partnership.
In these difficult times we continue to focus on our key priorities: looking after our people, our customers and our networks while we focus on efficiencies. For our people, the immediate priority is their health and safety, where the work-from-home programmes across our markets empower our staff to work remotely while ensuring continuity in our operations. For our customers, we have ramped up our digital channels as a service alternative, to enable them to continue purchasing airtime and accessing our products and services seamlessly as well as launching Y’ello Hope Packages in most of our markets.
Our various initiatives support governments across our markets with communication systems and connectivity as we do our part to help minimise the economic and social impact.
The COVID-19 situation is an evolving one and will undoubtedly impact the year ahead.
Given the uncertainties associated with the duration and economic impact of the pandemic, it is difficult to reliably quantify the direct and indirect Financial impacts on the business at this early stage. The group will continue to focus on business continuity and efficiency, and we have implemented strict measures to preserve resources and strengthen our resilience.”
Financial Performance For the first quarter, MTN delivered a solid performance increasing constant currency service revenue by 11,1% and EBITDA by 15,6% with EBITDA margin improving by 2.1pp to 43,2%, in line with medium-term targets. The group recorded voice, data and fintech revenue growth of 6,3%, 26,4% and 26,0% respectively as we continued to execute on our strategic objectives and progress toward becoming a digital operator. Digital revenue has returned to growth, increasing by 15,6%.
MTN Group CFO, Ralph Mupita concluded, “We are encouraged by the service revenue growth of 11.1% which we achieved on a constant currency basis, this translated to 16.5% on a reported basis. Good cost control across the group supported the increase in group EBITDA margins, with a particular strong performance from MTN Ghana.
Notwithstanding The impacts of COVID-19 in the first quarter the balance sheet remained resilient and our cash and committed undrawn facilities was approximately R45 billion at the holding company level providing us with sufficient liquidity during these uncertain and unprecedented times.
We have experienced a continued surgeon data traffic during the month of April, but voice traffic and mobile money transactions were under pressure given various lockdown measures token across markets. Where lockdown measures have been lifted or relaxed recently voice recharges and mobile money transaction volumes have improved. For Now, we are maintaining our 3 -5 years medium-term guidance but will update the capital markets in August of any changes when we release our H1 2020 results.
Looking ahead The current environment is marked by significant uncertainties. It is still too early to assess the economic impact of the pandemic on our customers and reliably quantify the director indirect financial effects on our business. The remainder of the year will be shaped by the ramifications of the pandemic, and we will continue to update all stakeholders as the effects become clearer.
We are not only focused on managing the risks brought about by COVID-19, but also on the opportunities it creates in the accelerated digitalization it has brought about. We believe we are well positioned as a company to benefit from this evolution, especially given our focus on growth in our data, digital and Financial services businesses. The Group remains focused on the execution of our BRIGHT strategy to deliver sustainable growth in our operations and value to our stakeholders.
About the MTN Group
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. We are inspired by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code
“MTN. We are pursuing our BRIGHT strategy with a major focus on growth in data, fintech and digital businesses.
Mobile telecom giant, MTN Ghana, has announced the postponement of its 2020 Annual General Meeting scheduled for 13 May 2020.
At the same time, it has announced the suspension of the payment of dividend scheduled for 25 May 2020, until further notice.
The AGM is to bring the shareholders of the company to take critical decisions.
MTN has several tens of thousands of shareholders following its successful Initial Public Offer in 2018.
According to a statement from the company, the postponement has become necessary as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the ensuing directives imposing restrictions on public gatherings, to curb the spread of the virus namely:
On March 15, 2020 President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo announced a directive on public gatherings.
Also, the Ghana Stock Exchange Circular No 001/2020 dated March 16, 2020, reinforced the restrictions on public gatherings as set out in the March 15, 2020 directive.
“Consequently, payment of the Final Dividend for 2019, and the payment date of May 25, 2020, as published in the Scancom Plc. (MTN Ghana) Annual Results for the year ended 31 December 2019 (the “Annual Resultsâ€), are hereby also postponed until further noticeâ€, the statement emphasised.
The statement added that “Kindly note that the Ex-dividend date of April 28, 2020, and the Qualifying date of April 30, 2020 published in the Annual Results remain unchangedâ€.
However, the Board of Directors of Scancom Plc. is assuring all Shareholders of Scancom Plc. that it continues to monitor the situation, and a new date and/or alternatives, will be communicated to Shareholders in due course.
The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has shut down the MTN office at Dansoman Zodiac for failing to adhere to precautionary measures to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), especially the social distancing rule.
The Minister who happened to pass in front of the office observed the operators did not put measures in place to ensure social distancing.
Infuriated by their disrespect to the social distancing rule, she stopped them from operating with immediate effect.
In a Facebook post by the Minister, she stated that the office will not be allowed to operate till they have better arrangements in place.
“This is the scene at the MTN office at Dansoman Zodiac right now. Absolutely no respect for social distancing. They have been shut down and will not be allowed to operate till they have better arrangements in place. Reputable corporate organizations like this should not be flouting the law and creating conditions for the virus to spread,†she wrote.
In a second post, the Minister cautioned other communications sector to take note of her action and comply or face similar actions.
“Social distancing wahala for MTN… I just happened to be passing by enroute to my office in the constituency and came upon the crowd outside their zodiac office. Shut them down. Other communications sector companies better take note and comply or else!! As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!!,†she wrote.
MTN focuses on network continuity and takes precautionary steps to safeguard its employees, suppliers and customers from Covid-19
MTN Ghana has implemented a series of precautionary measures to ensure continuity of services and the safety of its stakeholders including employees, customers, communities and suppliers following official confirmation of COVID-19 cases in Ghana and subsequent directives by the state to control the spread of the disease.
A key priority for MTN is to ensure that customers experience the best network connectivity to undertake their business activities and connect with friends and family in this period of limited social interactions and distancing.
In line with safety measures, MTN has provided temperature guns at MTN facilities, as an early detection method for testing body temperature. MTN has also enhanced hygiene measures including the easy access to hand sanitizers in all its offices. In addition, MTN has placed restrictions on all international travel and also reducing, wherever possible, domestic travel, as the company continue to monitor the situation.
Customers have been encouraged to use the digital channels for customer service support (Twitter @MTNGhana/ @AskMTNGhana, on Facebook MTNGhana, WhatsApp 0554300000, 0555300000, live chat from mtn.com.gh and email customercare.GH@mtn.com). The use of Mobile Money for financial transactions are also being encouraged.
Commenting on the developments, the CEO of MTN, Mr Selorm Adadevoh said, “Our customers are very important to us and even more so in these times. We have already started several communications through various channels to give them updates on the Corona virus and personal hygiene tips on how to manage the virus. We will continue to support broad customer education and awareness through our platforms and where possible we are partnering with the Ministry of Health to support their response efforts. In due course we will advise of any other customer support initiatives we come up with.
We encourage our employees, stakeholders and customers to remain calm and take the necessary precautions as outlined by the medical fraternity to minimise the spread of the virusâ€.
Additionally, MTN is playing a key role in the implementation of some key initiatives undertaken by the telecoms industry to educate and share information on the pandemic. They include the broadcast of safety tips on COVID -19 via Caller Tunez service for all customers.
Further to these, MTN is working closely with our regulators, Telecoms Chamber and by extension Bank of Ghana on some few initiatives to promote digital payments.
COVID-19 is, unquestionably, testing our society. We continue to monitor the global situation closely and strictly adhere to the recommendations of relevant international authorities such as the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health, MTN CEO said.
The Competition Commission in South Africa has released the Data Services Market Inquiry final report with findings and recommendations.
The report, among many other things, recommended that mobile network operators MTN and Vodacom, a sister company to Vodafone reach agreement within two months with the Commission to reduce data prices, particularly for monthly bundles, and to address the structure of data pricing, reducing the cost per MB for smaller sub-1GB bundles relative to the 1GB price.
The report also recommended that these operators reach an agreement with the Commission on other pro-poor measures within three months, and these included free data and zero rating of public benefit organisations.
Following the announcement, the Commission says it has separately had productive engagements with Vodacom and MTN, as well as other affected MNOs with regards to the findings and recommendations.
“Given that the engagements with the operators are at an advanced stage, the Commission has decided to extend the two-month deadline by one month to allow sufficient time to conclude these engagements,” it said in a statement.
Telecommunications giant, MTN Ghana says it will today February 1 undertake a maintenance on its network to enhance the quality of its data services.
According to a statement issued by the company, there will be intermittent disruptions to data services between 12:00am to 1:00am.
“This activity will enhance the quality of our data services and MTN sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience,†the statement noted.
Last month, subscribers of the MTN faced disruptions with regards to mobile data connectivity across Ghana and many areas in West Africa as a result of a double undersea fibre optic cable cut in its network.
Ghana was not the only country affected by the fibre cable cut as the West Africa Cable System (WACS), which is in the Atlantic Ocean, connects many other African countries to Europe.
The Consumer Rights Protection Agency suggested MTN compensate its subscribers for the service disruptions.
