Accra, March 2, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday called on the Management of Ghana Telecom and Alcatel Shanghai Bell Company of China to ensure that their products were efficient and affordable to Ghanaians. He expressed appreciation to the partnership and vision of the two organisations in the improvement of communications, a basic vital sector of the economy.

President Kufuor made the call when Mr Yuan Xin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alcatel Shanghai Bell paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu. Mr Yuan, who is on an African tour was in Ghana to assess the extent of work under the first phase of the 150 million dollar loan agreement signed between Ghana Telecom and Alcatel Shanghai Bell.

President Kufuor said, "I am happy your company is ready to partner Ghana Telecom and use such partnership to develop the sector for the overall acceleration of our economic development through technological transfer to many Ghanaians." Mr. Yuan said the two organisations had set up a joint working team to begin the second phase of their expansion project that would extend their network to all parts of the country.

The project, which begins in July this year, will be completed in the first quarter of 2006. It involves the installation of 250-radio antenna to serve about 400,000 mobile phone users. The first phase of the project that included the fixing of Alcatel Shangai Bell trunk switches to increase network coverage of the Ghana Telecom services within the Accra Metropolis is yet to be completed.

Mr Yuan pledged the company's commitment to augment the Government's technological drive to ensure that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) served as the bedrock of Ghana's development.