Koforidua, Aug. 13, GNA- The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Gustav Narh-Dometey, on Wednesday cut the sod for work to begin on a four-billion-cedis Regional Office Complex for the Ghana Telecommunication Company (Ghana Telecom) at Koforidua.

The project, which is to be completed in ten months, would improve facilities, including an ultra-modern Customer Service Point, a conference room, and fibre point.

Mr Narh-Dometey said it was the government's desire to ensure that every district capital and many rural areas were provided with adequate telecommunication infrastructure to help promote the economic and social well being of the people.

This, he said, made the Ghana Telecom to obatain a loan of 150 million dollars from Alcatel Bell in China to expand its services. The Deputy Regional Minister expressed regret that only eight out of the 15 district capitals in the Eastern Region had telephone facilities, noting that even some of those with the services such as Nkawkaw, Mpraeso, Akim Oda and Nsawam have reached their saturation point many years ago.

He called on telephone consumers to pay up their bills regularly and promptly to enable the company to expand its services. He cautioned the people to use payphone booths with care and that they should report anyone found using materials other than the company's phone cards to make calls.

The Eastern Regional Head of the Ghana Telecom, Nii Amaah Fleischer-Brock, said completion of the two-storey building would help the company expand, upgrade and modernise its network and infrastructure as well as solve the congestion at the existing offices.

The Omanhene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Dr Oti Boateng, said the facility would link the area to other parts of the world to facilitate business transactions, especially of Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) on Distance Education.

Daasebre Oti Boateng suggested to the company to enter into negotiations with the Volta River Authority (VRA) to enable it to link up with its fibre optic communication system. This, he said, would enhance GT's system and make way for better services. 13 Aug. 03