Koforidua, Oct 29, GNA - The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo Mensah, on Wednesday appealed to the new management of Ghana Telecom to improve telephone facilities in the region. He said the region is poorly served and appealed to the Ghana Telecom to solve the problem.

Dr Osafo Mensah said this when the Managing Director of the Ghana Telecom, Mr Oystein Bjorge, paid a courtesy call on him as part of a visit to inspect the company's facilities at Koforidua on Wednesday. Mr Osafo Mensah urged the company to extend telephone facilities to other district capitals.

Mr. Bjorge gave the assurance that the company will do everything possible to meet its target, adding that the existing switch capacity in the region is to be expanded to 5,000 by 2005.

He said the needs of the region would be catered for.

Mr Byorge appealed for support from the workers and the government to enable the company to achieve its targets. He said the financial position of Ghana Telecom is very weak and has to source funds from some local banks and Arcatel in China for its operations.

Mr Byorge said the company contracted 150,000 dollars from Arcatel and 60,000 dollars from some of the local banks. On the break down of some of booth phones he said spare parts had been received from France to repair them.