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NCA poised to set price ceiling for telecommunication services
The Ministry of Communication has directed the National Communications Authority (NCA) to set a price ceiling on all telecommunications services to promote competition and address growing disparities in market and revenue shares in the sector.
The floor pricing of services, which includes voice calls, data, short messaging service (SMS), Mobile Money, among others, was to ensure a level-playing field for all network operators within the telecommunications industry.
A statement signed and issued by the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful in Accra yesterday, said, the move forms part of other specific measures to be implemented by the NCA to promote proper and healthy competition among telecommunications players, secure a much better pricing policy for the consumers and facilitate a sound regulatory regime.
Among the measures are asymmetrical interconnect rate in favour of the disadvantaged operators, review and approve all pricing by MTN network, which is considered the Significant Market Power (SMP), as required by law and require of the company not to have differential prices for on-net and off-net transactions.
Additionally, the NCA was to ensure various operator vendors were not subject to exclusionary pricing or behaviour, ensure that SMP’s access to information does not disadvantage any value added service of non-SMP operators and require operators to present implementation plans on National Roaming Services within the next 30 days for execution on or before the next 90 days.
Among other benefits, the implementation of the policy, would maximise consumers’ welfare, stimulate the activities of third party vendors such as Value Added Service providers and give them a choice to work with non-SMP operators and prevent the dominant operator from using predatory pricing to eliminate competition.
The statement noted that it would also create a catalyst for passive infrastructure sharing within the industry especially for national roaming services and increase service choice for consumers within areas where SMP is present and would not be permitted to charge a high price to call, SMS, or transfer money to other services, while keeping its own prices low.
The statement noted that the policy directive was due to growing market imbalance and creation of a near monopoly in the country’s telecom sector adding that the imbalance potentially exposes the country to the dictates of the dominant operator and negatively impacts on competition and choice for the consumer as well as investments within the sector.
Referring to statistics which indicate that MTN has almost 75 per cent of telecommunications market share, the statement said although it showed growth within the telecommunications and financial sectors, it also shows an uncompetitive and unprofitable environment for less dominant players in those industries.
It said the measures were in line with the NCA’s functions and duties outlined in the National Communications Authority Act 769 of 2008, Section 3e, which requires the Authority to ensure fair competition amongst licencees, operators of communications networks and service providers of public communications”.
It said the government acknowledges the investments MTN has made in their operations over the years however, its growing dominance has impacted negatively on competition and consumer choice, necessitating corrective action.
The statement called on all network operators to collaborate with the NCA to ensure the measures were implemented successfully.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
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Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
