GT DEBATE RAGES ON

THE President yesterday went in full defence of the government’s decision to sell 70 per cent shares in Ghana Telecom (GT) and predicted that the government would soon be vindicated by its decision.
In a swift response to concerns expressed by the acting Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the President said the deal was in the best interest of Ghanaians.
There is no doubt that the proposed sale of GT shares to Vodafone has generated intense debate and as pointed out by the President a lot of the arguments made against the deal were not of adequate information on the issue.
Indeed, one may also add that a lot of the people clamouring against the proposed sale have been served a consistent and delusive wave of misinformation that paints an alarming picture of the intended sale of the shares.
Short of brazenly arguing for or against the GT-Vodafone deal, those involved in the debate could take a position that may serve a useful purpose if they critically examine the merits and demerits of the deal to find out what is best for the country.
It is not for nothing that the workers of Ghana Telecom have come out strongly in defence of the deal as they are very much aware of the difficulties the company has faced and how it has impacted on their pockets.
As the President points out, it is important to critically listen to what the GT workers are saying, especially as they know how best it feels to operate under the present conditions.
As Parliament debates the issue, the DAILY GRAPHIC again wishes to admonish Members of Parliament (MPs) to place the interest of the nation first and speak to the facts and issues.
In an industry where there are global giants like MTN and tiGO and other internationally renowned firms such as Globacom and Zain entering, our MPs need to critically examine the best options available for GT to operate effectively and beat the competition.
The signs already are not looking very good for the nation’s telecom company, as it is already finding it difficult to stand up to the competition, and with the entry of Zain and Globacom, one shudders to think of what will become of GT.
Despite the fact that GT is state-owned, many Ghanaians prefer other networks, and with the global networking of the other mobile companies, international rates are going to become even more competitive and GT is likely to be worse off, if urgent steps are not taken to address the issue.
But as we debate the issue, the critical question to ask is whether or not those who are opposed to the deal, because the state must control the strategic telecommunications sector, patronise Onetouch services.
Presently, the company is said to be saddled with debts and any serious revitalisation may come at a huge cost to the state; aside paying the debt, there will have to be serious capital injection into GT.
As Ghanaians, we need to ask ourselves whether we are ready to tighten our belts some more and pay more taxes in order to raise the needed capital to revitalise GT.
GT has reached the crossroads and it is time to take a decision that will propel it to new heights.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that at the end of the day good reason will prevail and the right decision will be taken after a dispassionate and not a partisan parliamentary debate.
Let the polemics shake the very foundation of Parliament House today and when the question is put — whether the “ayes” or the “nays” have it, — let us accept the verdict in the spirit of democratic governance.