Accra, March 3, GNA - MTN Ghana on Wednesday launched the maiden edition of its external newsletter, to serve as the official corporate magazine of the company.

The newsletter, dubbed: "Y'ello Ghana," would be a quarterly publication with a variety of stories and feature articles including social, telecommunications and health, to keep all stakeholders informed on the operations of MTN.

The 100-page newsletter has the picture of national soccer star Michael Essien with a football in his hand as its cover to express the company's excitement at the great opportunity that awaits Africa, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa. Apart from the external newsletter, another newsletter specially prepared to meet the information needs of government and regulators was also launched.

Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh, Corporate Services Executive, MTN Ghana, said the external newsletter was believed to be a powerful tool for communicating effectively with all stakeholders. She noted that the newsletter has information on activities and events undertaken by the company over the past year as well as special articles on its products; with details, on how subscribers could benefit from particular services. It also has information on the company's Executives, as well as its extensive corporate social responsibilities, which have contributed immensely to national development. Mrs Trebarh explained that as a patriot to Ghana's soccer development, MTN had also demonstrated its support to the various national soccer teams to enable them to attain the highest dreams by publishing information on its role as the official sponsor of the South Africa FIFA 2010 World Cup. She explained that MTN felt challenged to ensure effective and constant communication with its stakeholders. Mrs Trebarh said as a vibrant organisation it was important that it kept engaging with its stakeholders on a regular basis and the newsletter would serve an easy reference material on the company's operations and as a critical channel for soliciting for feedback on its various activities, products and services.

Mr John Tia Akologu, Minister of Information, commended MTN for the tremendous progress it had made over the years in the telecommunication industry and said the company had consistently maintained its leadership in the vibrant communications industry in the country by progressively adding new services and products. He said the well researched and packed information in the newsletter was a clear indication of the commitment of MTN not only to educate its staff, but also the wider public on what was happening in the telecommunication industry. The Minister said the initiative also confirmed the importance of information sharing and expressed the hope that Parliament would soon pass the Right to Information Bill to help formalise access to information in the country. Mr Akologu urged subscribers to patronise the magazine in order to derive the best out of MTN's services. He urged the company to explore other avenues that had not been explored and also strengthen its collaboration and periodic interaction with government to ensure timely dissemination of quality information to all citizens. 3 March 10