The Ghana Telecom Sale Update & Intervention

Currently the proposal to sell Ghana Telecom has been tabled before a Joint Committee on Finance and Communications. The committee has supposedly debated on it and has put together a report recommending that government go ahead with the sale. The next step in the parliamentary approval process is to file a motion to adopt the report and as such give government the leeway to continue with the sale process. This motion is scheduled for Thursday 17th July 2008. (See below).

THURSDAY, 17TH JULY 2008

Motion

- Adoption of the Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Communications on the Sale and Purchase Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Vodafone International Holdings B.V. and Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited relating to the sale and purchase of seventy percent (70%) of the Ordinary Shares in the Issued Share Capital of Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited for a consideration of US$900 million.

- Consequential Resolution

In view of the relative lack of transparency and government’s unwilliness or inability to reach out to notify the general public and to solicit input on the dispaosal of an asset/s of this size it is imperative that in order that Ghana might get a good deal out of this, we intervene at this stage with parliament and ask that the process be halted for at least a month, so that input may be solicited and advice and comments offered from the general public.

Furthermore given recent numerous credible news reports of the Ghanaian economy having a budget deficit it is all the more important to get a clearer picture of the forces and factors that are driving the sale of Ghana Telecom. We need to be careful about disposing of a number of our strategig telecom assets for the express purpose of making up that budget deficit especially during an election year.

Below names, numbers and other contact information of the the chairmen as well as the members of the committee. They may be contacted directly or they may be contacted trough the office of the Clerk of parliament.

Please call, fax, write and lastly email to express your concern about the entire deal. As in what assets exactly are being sold? What can’t the sale of these assets be staggered and sold to Ghanaians? Why can’t Ghanaians have right of first denial on the sale of these assets?

When you call the clerk’s office, be polite, be persistent, be clear and direct, do not take no for an answer, stay on message, do not allow yourself to be sidetracked get a verbal commitment and guarantee that your message will be passed on in a timely manner to the chairman of the committee. Let’s lobby them.

See previous article:

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=146637

Hon. Nii Adu Daku Mante

Chairman

Finance Committee

dakumante@yahoo.com

Hon. Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor,(Dr)

Ranking Member

Finance Committee

bkunbuor@yahoo.com

Hon. Kojo Armah Chairman Communication Committee kojoarmah@ltd.mail.com

HON. ABRAHAM OSSEI-AIDOOH
CHAIRMAN, BUSINESS COMMITTEE
MAJORITY LEADER
MINISTER FOR PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

Contact Telephone Numbers Clerk's Office 233-21-664042 Fax Line 233-21-665957/662084 1st Deputy Clerk 233-21-664195 2nd Deputy Clerk 233-21-677772 Head of Administration 233-21-669716 Marshal's Office 233-21-672522 Library 233-21-667552 Librarian 233-21-672523

Director of Public Affairs 233-21-681419

Director of Research 233-21-681421

Email Addresses The Speaker speaker@parliament.gh

First Deputy Speaker first.deputy.speaker@parliament.gh

Second Deputy Speaker second.deputy.speaker@parliament.gh

The Clerk clerk@parliament.gh

The Librarian library@parliament.gh

Director of Public Affairs info@parliament.gh

Director of Research parlresearch@parliament.gh

Majority Leader majority.leader@parliament.gh

Minority Leader minority.leader@parliament.gh

Marshal marshal@parliament.gh

Below is the list of members of the Finance Committee

Full List of Members

1 Hon. Nii Adu Daku Mante (Chairman) 2 Hon. Kwadwo Agyei -Addo (Vice-chairman) 3 Hon. Papa Kwesi Ndoum 4 Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah 5 Hon. Coleman Grace 6 Hon. Akwasi Osei- Adjei 7 Hon. Kofi Frimpong 8 Hon. Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori 9 Hon. Richmond Sam Quarm 10 Hon. Eugene Atta Agyepong 11 Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo 12 Hon. Kwame Osei-Prempeh 13 Hon. Kojo Opare-Hammond 14 Hon. Elizabeth K. Tawiah Sackey

15 Hon. Rita Tani Iddi 16 Hon. Ben. Kunbour (Ranking Member) 17 Hon. James Klutse Avedzi Deputy Ranking Member

18 Hon. Samuel Sallas - Mensah

19 Hon. Pele Abuga

20 Hon. Eric Opoku

21 Hon. Amadu Seidu

22 Hon. Sumani Abukari

23 Hon. Collins Dauda

24 Hon. Daniel K. Abodakpi

25 Hon. Edward Kojo Salia

Clerk to the Committee Ibrahim A. Gombilla Secretariat

The Head of the secretariat of Finance Committee is the clerk to the committee assisted by a secretary and a number of officers.