By Nana Appiah Acquaye, Accra, Ghana
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Mr. Serame Taukobong, has revealed that despite stiff competition within the telecoms industry in the country, MTN Ghana was able to maintain its lead as an industry player. According to him the year 2013 witnessed MTN Ghana’s revenue growth by 13 per cent in local currency and that also indicates the company’s commitment by investing in its operations to achieve a maximum result
Speaking at a meeting with editors and seniors journalists in Accra, Mr Taukobong noted that the year remains bright for his outfit as it plans to focus its attention on MTN business.
He also raised the payment of huge taxes to the government as one of its major concerns confronting not only his outfit but all telcos in the country. Mobile network operators are particularly concerned that arbitrary taxes on the industry are driving the prices consumers pay for making telephone calls or accessing the internet.
Currently about one-third of the money consumers spend on making calls or accessing the internet goes to the government as taxes.
The MTN boss explained that the increase in tariffs was unprecedented and unavoidable as they reflect market conditions and challenges in doing business in the country. He said the operators are no longer able to absorb the taxes slapped on them on to consumers.
“We do feel that the telecom sector has been on a rather rough receiving side of many taxes. You will have notice this year that for the first time in the history of the telecom sector, we had to make a price increase because we cannot continue to absorb the taxes. Overall, the cost of doing business led us to take that decision,” he noted.
Taukobong stressed that comparing the telecom industry to other industries; the telecom industry in Ghana has not increased prices for over ten years whilst other sectors have increased prices as the cost of doing business has gone up. “We have been absorbing the taxes over the years, but we cannot continue to go on like that, so anytime taxes go up we have no choice but to pass on the cost to consumers,” he said.
