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Ensure telecom companies invest profits in economy

Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah

The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah (NPP), has urged the Ministry of Communications to enforce all rules and regulations in the telecommunications sector and ensure that telecommunication companies invest part of their profits in the economy.

Contributing to a statement to mark World Communication and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Day in Parliament last Wednesday, he said investigations had revealed that most of the companies repatriated the huge profits they made every year instead of investing part in the industry.

The situation, he said, had led to stagnation in the telecom sector.

 May 17  has been designated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nation’s specialised agency for ICT,  as World Communication and ICT Day. 

Parliament failed to mark the day on May 17 because the House was on recess.

The theme for this year’s celebrations was “ICT and Road Safety.”

The primary objective of the ITU is to allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, develop technical standards that ensure that networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect and also strive to improve access to ICT for under-served communities worldwide.

The organisation has 193 countries, including Ghana, as members.

Mr Boamah also prodded the ministry to put policies in place to curb cyber fraud and work with the security agencies to apprehend people who engaged in such nefarious activities.

The member for Bortianor/ Ngleshie Amanfro, Mr Bright E.K. Demordzi (NDC), who made the statement to commemorate the day, said telecommunications and ICT created opportunities for people to realise both short and long-term objectives.

He added that it also enabled businesses to improve on their profitability and governments to deliver services to their citizens in a more efficient and effective manner.

Providing statistics on the carnage on the roads in Ghana, he said in 2012,  2,249 people lost their lives through road accidents and added that ICT could assist to improve on road safety in the country.

“It is my hope and prayer that the authorities responsible for road safety would be inspired by the theme for this year’s celebration and employ ICT to educate motorists on safe driving, track recalcitrant drivers, improve on the driver and vehicle registration regime and create a database of motorists for the purposes of law enforcement, among other things,” he said.

Telecommunication companies, Mr Demordzi said , should use part of their budget to support road safety education.

Story: Mark-Anthony Vinorkor


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