Former President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to the government to employ strategies that will enable telecommunication service providers to reduce their rates during the restriction period.
He urged the government to consider voice and Internet services as an essential commodity and ensure that it was provided at a cheaper rate to consumers who had been forced to stay at home as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
That, he said, would be relief to lot of people who had resorted to the Internet to conduct businesses and the many workers who were working from home.
He said the gesture would also help to reduce the cost burden on students who are studying via the Internet due to the closure of schools.
Support package
The former President made the intervention when he announced a support package for 20,000 households within the partial lockdown areas in Accra, Kumasi and Kasoa at his office in Accra yesterday.
The package included food items and other household items needed for survival during this period when most business activities have come to a standstill.
The items would be distributed through the various traditional councils in the affected areas, faith-based organisations and organisations working with people with disabilities.
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Throwing more light on the packages that the government could offer the telecommunications firms, Mr Mahama said the government could offer a free six-month extension of licences of telecommunications whose licences were about to expire so that the value could be applied to cushion consumers during the three-month period.
“Additionally, the Telcos can also be compensated with funds from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), which already has the mandate to ensure universal access to telecommunication,” he added.
Mr Mahama also asked the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) to leverage its robust broadband infrastructure – 4G cell sites and optic fibre cables, to meet the increased demand for wireless and fixed broadband during the COVID-19 times.
“The removal of the 50 per cent increase in the Communication Service Tax (CST) will provide further relief for the many who are having to work or stay at home at this time.
Parochial considerations
Mr Mahama said the packages would be distributed to households without any parochial considerations.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the inequalities in the society with thousands of people struggling to survive.
He said many bread winners were in dire need due to either a shut down of their work places or had been asked by their employers to stay at home.
Mr Mahama said there should not be any public gatherings or large crowds at palaces for the items but be delivered to the beneficiaries in their homes.
He said to avoid confusion in the distribution of relief items, the government must also adopt this method and involve the traditional authorities in such distributions to ensure fairness.
Source: Daily Graphic
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Mr. Mahama we are tired of you. We are in crisis now, for God sake, please. What at all do you want? Votes abi? Wait till the pandemic is over. You will get your votes. This kind of petty politicking is making you more unpopular. Remember the Airbus scandal is awaiting you. Your brother will be repatriated to Ghana to tell us how he shared that bribe money. You cannot dodge because you have left your footprint in line of receiving your share. Very shameful to the youth. Your MPs received peanuts over a $3.5m bribe from the energy deal. Asante Berko manipulated them. You kept your potboy John Jinapor at the Energy Ministry for all the time without appointing a substantive because you wanted to reap more. You have the money, no doubt, but you don't have the respect because of your greediness. You thought there was no end to time. You can control everything but God controls the time. Your bad deeds have come at God's own time. All the resistance the citizenry push for this deal to be cancelled did not sit well with your corrupt mind. You went ahead and now the chickens have come home to roost. Your bottom is showing. You can talk but Ghanaians do not have a short memory as you think. You have been the worst president ever in our dear country. You greediness has no match. You will never come to power. God is watching you.
I'm happy you are talking on daily basis. Spew as much garbage as you can Mr Ex-President. Let me propose topics for you for tomorrow, Mahama On Airbus Scandal & Mahama Involved In USA SEC Vrs Berko
MAHAMA we are TIRED of You and Your Political GIMMICKS. SHUT THE FUCK UP.This is a TRAGEDY for the Whole World and Ghana is Managing it better than any African Country. ***barred word***