To Boost Expansion Programme

The Ghana Telecommunications Company (Ghana Telecom) Limited, says it is to take delivery of $75million worth of telecommunication equipment from Ghana to support its major expansion programme throughout the country. The consignment, which constitutes half of what is expected from that country, is expected to arrive at the port of Tema by the end of the month.

The move is aimed at brining back on course the government?s programme of providing 400,000 fixed and 750,000 mobile lines, which was delayed as a result of a court action instituted against the company in its earlier attempt to access a $150million loan granted it by China. The minority shareholders of the company, Telekom Malaysia, who were represented on the board of the company as G-Com, insisted a court action against Ghana Telecom to prevent it from accessing the $150million from China and a syndicated loan of $60million from local banks to expedite action on its expansion programme.

The case which dragged for almost a year, delayed the company?s programme, forcing the new management to reschedule its programme until the case was settled out of court. The chief executive officer of the company, Mr. Oystein Bjorge, said ?we have been able to complete all the ground work in anticipation of the arrival of the equipment?.