MTN faces challenges operating in Ghana

Doing business in Ghana is “very difficult” and “extremely cumbersome,” a representative of the leading communication company in Ghana, MTN, said in an answer to how the company rated its business fortunes in Ghana.

“But MTN are not quitters, it’s about finding solutions to problems, that’s why we are the leaders,” Mrs Cynthia Lumor, Corporate Affairs Executive of MTN, said when answering questions at an Editors’ Forum in Ho on Wednesday. She described the tax regime, cost of power and replacement of damaged and stolen fibre cables as constituting “very difficult” challenges.

Mrs Limor said in 2013 the Company paid a valued added tax of 243 million Ghana cedis and 98 million Ghana cedis as communication services tax in addition to other charges, leaving net revenue of 1.75 billion Ghana cedis. She said part of the net revenue went into social responsibility activities including community services and educational scholarship.

Mrs Lumor said the Company incurred about two million Ghana cedis more in 2012 due to power outages. She said there were 506 fibre cuts in 2012 and 840 in 2013 with an average of two cuts a day.

Mrs Lumor said between January and June 2014; MTN experienced 436 fibre cuts, describing the situation as “a problem that we need to find a solution to.”

She said despite the challenges the Company was investing in infrastructure and creating innovative products to ensure customer satisfaction. “We have instituted self-services and closed loop feedback just to make customers happy,” Mrs Lumor said.