13 hours Ago By News Ghana
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/nca-chief-vows-closer-telecom-collaboration-to-tackle-infrastructure-tax-woes/Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has pledged tighter collaboration with telecom operators to address mounting sector challenges, including rampant fiber optic cable destruction, crippling power costs, and stifling tax burdens.
The commitment follows a high-stakes meeting between newly appointed NCA Director-General Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko and the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, signaling a potential thaw in historically strained regulator-industry relations.
Held at the NCA Tower in Accra on February 19, the talks centered on urgent fixes for systemic hurdles plaguing Ghana’s digital growth. Top of the agenda was halting the frequent sabotage of fiber infrastructure—a costly issue that has left swaths of the country intermittently offline and repair teams in a perpetual game of catch-up. Telecom giants also pressed for relief from soaring electricity expenses, which account for up to 60% of operational costs, and a review of what they call “punitive” taxes stifling innovation.
“Growth hinges on regulators, industry, and consumers rowing in unison,” Fianko asserted, outlining plans for structured dialogues to fast-track solutions. The Chamber, led by Telecel Ghana CEO Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai, welcomed the overture, handing over a self-crafted Telecom Fiber Standards Manual—a blueprint to standardize Ghana’s patchy fiber deployments using global best practices.
Fianko vowed to push for its adoption alongside the Ghana Standards Authority, a move experts say could curb cable damage and investor jitters.The meeting’s outcomes arrive amid glaring pain points. Ghana’s internet penetration stagnates at 58%, with rural areas lagging, while operators grapple with 15+ levies, including a controversial 5% sector-specific tax.
Meanwhile, illegal mining and construction crews routinely sever cables, costing millions annually. “Every outage isn’t just a repair bill—it’s lost education, commerce, and trust,” said tech analyst Esi Ansah.Yet skepticism lingers.
Previous regulator promises have fizzled, and the NCA’s own mandate to enforce infrastructure protection remains hamstrung by weak legal deterrence. For Fianko, delivering on fiber standards and tax reforms could define his tenure. As Obo-Nai noted, “Collaboration is key, but action is everything.
” With Ghana’s digital ambitions on the line, the sector watches to see if dialogue evolves into tangible change—or becomes another footnote in a cycle of unmet pledges News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/nca-chief-vows-closer-telecom-collaboration-to-tackle-infrastructure-tax-woes/.
