Accra, Oct. 31, GNA- Members of Parliament on Friday questioned the justification for the practice whereby Ghana Telecom (GT) make their ONE-touch customers disclose their identity and provide their passport pictures at the point of purchasing phone chips.

Ms. Akua Sena Dansua, MP for North Dayi questioned the Minister of Communication, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, the reason for that practice. She suggested that there was no justification for the practice, saying, "the collection of pictures from customers at the point of purchase of chips constituted a violation of the rights of those customers to privacy."

Ms. Dansua suggested that the ministry should advise the GT to learn other customer identification practices from other jurisdictions, which does not include collection of pictures and apply them in Ghana. Mr. Doe Ajaho, Member for Avenor suggested that the GT could be using the practice to track political opponents of the ruling NPP government. Mr. Kan-Dapaah said the purpose of the practice was for the GT to easily identify the real owners of ONE-touch phones in the event of theft or loss.

He said the practice is in the interest of the customers in that records are kept on the phones to protect the customer from easily losing his or her phone.

"In the same manner the profiles of the customers are kept for marketing purposes to enable the GT maintain a more reliable database of its subscribers," he said.

Mr. Kan-Dapaah dismissed the suggestion that the practice was to track NPP political opponents and denied knowledge of the fact that the practice violated the privacy rights of customer saying pictures and particulars, are collected by banks, passport offices and other organisations for similar purposes.

He, however, assured the MPs that he would study other practices and advise the GT to adopt the best possible practice.

Responding to another question as to when some communities in the Agona East constituency will benefit from the GT land phone services, the minister said GT has advised that it expects to extend its fixed line service to the said communities by the end of 2005.

The question was by Alhaji Amadu Ali, on behalf of Mr. S. K. Adu-Yeboah, MP for Agona East. He wanted to know when GT land phone service will reach Agona Asafo, Kwanyako, Mankrong Nkwanta, Duakwa and Nsaba.

The Minister for Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey was also in the house to answer a question by Mr. Micheal C. Boampong, MP for Bia on what plans the ministry has to hook the Bia National Park to the Eco-Tourism industry of Ghana. He replied that his Ministry is consulting the Wildlife Division of the Ministry of Lands and Forestry to develop the park into the tourism site within the next two to four years.

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said currently, the park has been listed for development and promotion in the medium term through the provision of visitor receptive facilities such as lavatories, shops, food joints and others.

"The purpose is to make the park a major stopover linking the Western Region with the Brong-Ahafo Region," he said. "The ministry will also encourage local and foreign investors to invest in visitor accommodation such as eco-lodges and safari camps."