MTN Ghana has committed over 100 Million Ghana Cedis so far to complement government’s efforts in fighting the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana.
Speaking to participants at this year’s Editors Forum for the northern business district, held virtually, Corporate Services Executive, Sam Koranteng, noted that MTN at the peak of Covid-19 in the country invested over 100 million Ghana cedis that helped to shore up network services, provided support to its customers, provision of protective equipment to its staff as well as partnering the government to deal with the pandemic.
According to Mr. Koranteng, the telecommunications giant was obliged to contribute to support the ongoing national effort to contain the spread of corona virus in the country.
Giving a break down on how the money was used in providing support for its customers; Mr. Koaranteng said an amount of 72 million cedis was spent to improve network services, offer free access to over 200 educational institutions in the country; as well as free mobile money P2P transfers up to Ghs100 daily, among other customer driven interventions.
In the area of ensuring staff safety, he mentioned the supply of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) for all frontline staff who were working in MTN service centers, providing about 45 shuttle buses to cater for frontline staff transportation, staff COVID-19 awareness training as well as offering daily health monitor survey to capture data to support staff at risk; at a cost of 29 million cedis.
An amount of 6million Ghana cedis, Mr. Koranteng disclosed was spent on the purchase of personal protective equipment to government agencies and hospitals during the intense moments of COVID-19, free access to shot-codes for COVID-19 response for the Ministry of Information and the Ghana Health Service as well as donation of digital equipment to Noguchi Memorial Centre.
On his part, Head of Technical Services for MTN Ghana, Northern Business District, Charles Osei-Akoto, said the company will carry out its planned expansions on the existing cell sites in the Northern Business District in spite of the apparent challenges due to covid-19.
According to him, 49 out of the planned 85 new cell sites to be added to the existing sites had so far been done.
Mr. Akoto lamented the constant damages the activities of road constructors cause to the company’s fibre network infrastructure.
“2019 to date, over 150 kilometers of fibre network has been destroyed nationwide and still counting.” He recounted.
Mr. Akoto therefore called on local contractors to “adhere to the right of way policies and good practices in doing their work.”
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Paul Fordjour/Ghana