Bawku (U/E), May 02, GNA - Agents of Areeba in the Upper East Region have allegedly adopted an unfair business practice to outwit its main competitor, Ghana Telecom (GT), in mobile service operations but Areeba denied the allegation.

Under the guise of combining two chips into one on a cell phone, the agents convince the public to buy an Areeba chip after which they divert all calls from Onetouch to Areeba.

Mr Issah Hamidu, a GT Onetouch subscriber who said this at a GT town hall meeting at Bawku, said the Onetouch chip is then removed from the person's cell phone.

Mr Haitham Maged, the Marketing Director of Areeba, said in reaction to the allegation that Areeba has no office in the Upper East Region, therefore has no agents or employees there. "What Areeba is being accused of is a fabrication. We have been operating in Ghana for 10 years now and we have built a solid reputation and will do nothing unethical to tarnish our image." The town hall meeting was to interact with GT customers as a way to identify their needs and expectations.

It was also to erase the negative perceptions associated with GT as being insensitive to customers and to educate the public on its new products and services.

Mr Emmanuel Dziko, Strategy and Business Manager, said GT was bound by good governance principles to do business in an ethical manner and would not take undue advantage of its dominance of the fixed lines network to exploit its customers.

He said GT was not insensitive to customers' plight but was customer-focused and market-driven to ensure customers were provided quality services with the introduction of new digital microwave transmission link equipment.

Mr Dziko said GT would lodge a formal complaint with the National Communication Authority (NCA) over the alleged unfair practice adopted by Areeba after conducting investigations. Mr Dziko explained how two of its new products, Eazyphone and Eazytalk work and its benefits to customers. The use of the Eazyphone facility is expected to reduce the post-paid services of the company that has allowed customers to pile up debts to the detriment of GT.

The Eazytalk product would also enable customers to have total control over their calls in order to reduce the frequent misunderstanding of billing system.

The Upper East Regional Manager, Alhaji Musah Awudu, appealed to customers who owed GT to settle their indebtedness to the company to ensure that they enjoy quality services and to enable GT to survive the stiff competition.