Takoradi, Nov. 3, GNA - Mr. Oystein Bjorge, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Telecom (GT) on Monday said all obsolete equipment and facilities of the company would be replaced by 2005.

He said the new management of GT had contracted a total of 110 million dollars to facilitate the smooth and early replacement of all the outdated equipments and to enhance an improved telecommunication service.

Mr. Bjorge who announced this during a day's working visit to the Takoradi and Sekondi stations of the GT stressed that some of the equipment were beyond repairs and needed outright replacement.

He noted that though the present billing system was not the best, efforts were being made to enhance it and make it readily available to consumers adding that the existing tariff structure was old fashioned and not in conformity with international standard.

The CEO urged workers of the company to improve their relationship with customers increase revenue collection and exhibit a high sense of professionalism.

Mr. Bjorge said the management would not hesitate to discipline any staff found to be undermining the efforts of the company.

Ghana Telecom to embark on expansion and modernization programme

He said this at a meeting with the staff of the company in Takoradi as part of a day's visit to installations and facilities of the company in the Western Region.

Mr Bjorge said the company has signed a contract with Acatel of China to supply equipment for the expansion and modernization programme. He said the programme would create additional 400,000 fixed telephone lines and 750,000 mobile phone lines throughout the country.

Mr Bjorge said Telenor of Norway, management partners of Ghana Telecom, would do everything in its power to fulfil its contractual obligations to the government before the agreement is renewed in 2005.

He said Telenor would turn Ghana Telecom into a modern organisation and assist in organisational development of Ghana Telecom.

Mr Bjorge said the company is aware of black marketing of its phone cards and is doing its best to put a stop to it.

He called for cordial staff-customer relationship and said the company is taking steps to ensure that their staffs are customer friendly.