Businessman and flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku has taken on the National Communications Authority (NCA) over the poor services consumers in Ghana are enduring with telecommunication companies.
Stressing that cellular and data have become essential to the ordinary Ghanaian, Mr Poku observes that the telcos seem to have shifted concentration onto mobile money services.
“If cellular network companies want to be a bank, they should give up their cellular license and take up a banking license from BOG,” he wrote on Friday, August 4.
“They seem to concentrate more on MOMO than their core services. If you enter the customer service center of MTN, 4 desk will be attending to MOMO customers and 2 or 1 desk attending to complaints about cellular service. This is unacceptable.”
He, therefore, wants NCA to “protect us the poor consumers as we are suffering”.
Find the full write-up below:
NATIONAL COMMUNICATION AUTHORITY (NCA) IS A REGULATOR OR AN INSTITUTION HAPPY TO COLLECT FEES???
The cellular network in Ghana is going from bad to worse. We had six network operators 10 years ago, now we only have three (3), 1 privately owned MTN and 2 government controlled Vodaphone, AirtelTigo.
We recently heard a private investor is taking over Vodaphone, but little information is publicly available on this transaction.
As Ghanaians, we deserve better in 2023. When some countries are enjoying 5G, some parts of Ghana are still on 2G or Edge. In recent months, voice calls have deteriorated with calls dropping or dialed numbers that can not be reached.
If I am getting better service and companies are making huge profits, I will not complain. NCA sits unconcern as we are offered inferior cellular service, but MTN can declare GHc 1.77 billion, 27.9% increases in profits for half year 2023.
If cellular network companies want to be a bank, they should give up their cellular license and take up a banking license from BOG. They seem to concentrate more on MOMO than their core services. If you enter the customer service center of MTN, 4 desk will be attending to MOMO customers and 2 or 1 desk attending to complaints about cellular service. This is unacceptable.
Most customers in Ghana do not know how billing is done anymore. In the past, we were told charges per second for voice and charges per KB for data. These days you buy the data or credit, then next minute it is finished. We have no idea what we are paying for.
Please, NCA as regulator protect us the poor consumers as we are suffering. Cellular and data have now become essential commodities in everybody’s life. Please do your work to ensure we get value for money. Ensure the networks are reliable in every part of the country where there is coverage.
I don’t think this is too much to ask from a regulator. All I ask is that National Communication Authority do your work.
Thank you.
Kwadwo Poku. (KNP)