As part of it?s Information Communication and Technology (ICT) initiative to boost ICT education in the country, the government is to provide more telephone lines to schools.

According to Mr. Charles Oscar-Welbeck, President of Ghana Telecom Contractors association, (GHSTECA), the government has directed Ghana Telecom to make available 400,000 telephone lines to schools in Ghana by the year 2006.

Mr. Oscar-Welbeck made this disclosure during the inauguration of the association in Accra last week. He said to make it possible for the government to implement its objective, professionals trained by Ghana Telecom to undertake specific jobs in the area of outside plant (OSP) installations, have decided to come together to use their knowledge as one body to facilitate the realization of those objectives. He said all the members of the association are contractors working in various contracting industries certified by the ministries of Works and Housing and Roads and Transport. The association has so far registered 60 members.

He said their coming together is to tap their expertise to set, maintain and promote exceptional high standards in the industry. He said the association is prepared and determined to work to the expectations of the government and the general public as well. Mr. Oscar-Welbeck said the government?s declaration of the Golden Age of Business would be meaningless, ?unless the government puts in a conscious effort to build the capacity of the local indigenous entrepreneur?. He appealed to the government to assist the association to source for funds from financial institutions.

He said negotiations are advanced for Stanbic Bank to assist members and the association has put in place a technical committee to ensure that all technical specifications pertaining to their scope of work are strictly adhered to. A disciplinary committee, he said, has also been set up to ensure that members who fail to comply with the specification as outlined per Ghana Telecom OSP specification are disciplined or sanctioned.

Mr. Samuel Kwesi Ainsoh, General Manager, Ghana Telecom Training Centre, assured them that the training centre is ready to assist them in all training requirements. He said teamwork is very vital in the progress of an association and asked them to sustain a regular flow of information that would foster the progress of the association.