An amount of 200 million dollars has been invested by the government to enable the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) to accomplish its rural telephony and digital inclusion projects across the country.
The project which forms part of the government’s “Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project” (GRT and DIP), seeks to facilitate the provision of universal access to all persons through the use of affordable information and communications technology for socioeconomic development.
Mr Prince Ofosu Sefah, Administrator of GIFEC, lauded government’s support in enabling GIFEC to receive accelerated growth through funding of its telecommunication activities in both the rural and urban centres of Ghana.
The Administrator made these known to the Ghanaian Times in an interview during an exercise to acquire some sites in the Eastern Region as part of the construction of Mobile Network Sites in about 300 communities across the country, beginning with 82 Sites over the next two weeks.
MrSefah reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring 95 per cent mobile network coverage by December 2023, through the establishment of 2,016 Rural Sites under the GRT and DIP.
This he said, would help in boosting the performance of Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) and budding businesses in rural areas.
MrSefah underscored the importance of mobile network connectivity and its role in economic development, stating that “it enhances trade and commerce for revenue generation to its subscribers and also promotes education.”
“GIFEC is still counting on government to continue this unprecedented investment in communities because people really need access to network and now getting network access is almost like the basic necessities of life.”
As part of the exercise, the Administrator, along with a Support Team visited some selected communities including Onyemso, Adunkwaa and Osubeng in the Eastern Region last week.
He interacted with chiefs and members of the three communities, and assured them of GIFEC and Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation’s commitmentto ensuring the prompt construction of the sites, to facilitate business development and progress in the communities.
He mentioned that the land acquisition exercise was being conducted in the Central, Western, Western North, Eastern, Ashanti, Volta, Oti and Northern regions.
BY ALFRED NII ARDAY ANKRAH
