Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, stated that the government also intends to monitor the billing systems of the telecom operators in a bid to sanitize the communications sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JuV8CoWbEsWwMTMfXYdEJbKr95qVAENy”]Speaking on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, the Minister said that the National Communications Authority [NCA], has met with the telcos to find the best way possible to ensure that the space is sanitized.

She said these actions were necessary to ensure that consumers are not shortchanged by the telcos and that mobile money transactions across the country, which involve transfers of thousands of cedis daily, are secure.

“The NCA has met with the Chief Technology Officers and the finance officers of the Telcos to discuss this very issue and they’ve come up with a set of conditions. The NCA is also going to monitor the billing systems of these telcos,” she said.

“We will also be implementing a system to monitor the mobile money transactions as well [for] revenue assurance and security. We don’t want mobile money to be used to commit crime and we don’t want it to be used to finance terrorism or criminal activity. We need to monitor the trends and see how, who, and what it’s being used for.”

Telcos cooperating

There has been a rise in the number of mobile money fraud incidents in recent years leading to several Ghanaians being robbed of their funds.

Last year, an internal inquiry by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had revealed that in some of the cases employees of telecommunications companies were found to be complicit in the act.

Staff of the telcos were alleged to be accessing the database of mobile money merchants, and changing the registration details of customers in order to withdraw money from their accounts without authorisation.

Reports indicate that, the staff who collude with criminals, sometimes reset the account containing the money to a new owner in the database, giving them access to the funds.

They then acquire new SIM cards and use the pins to withdraw monies from merchants

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated that over the years, not much has been done to sanitize the mobile money space, leaving it exposed for criminals to take advantage of it.

She stated it it was important that the telcos cooperate with the NCA to ensure that the transactions made by their customers remain secure.

“It’s important that we have an independent eye into it, and working with the Telcos I’m sure we’d be able to do that. The telcos all understand that it needs to be done and for certainty of our financial transactions, we need to ensure that this space that we haven’t focused on, isn’t being abused by criminal elements,” she noted.

“It’s in the interest of the telcos to work with the regulator to ensure there is sanity in that space. A few people are being defrauded from that and that’s an area that we need to work on, it all falls under cyber security.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mobile money transactions will be strictly monitored – Ursula appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“Mr President, we have heard you on your state of promises, and Mr. President, we have heard that at least sole sourcing is still lawful in Ghana,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bHdaqqNHIE45sG4LVGr6CPfSTGlJh0ur”]On the back of the Minority Leader’s comment, Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, said the President’s address was more of a campaign speech and all the president did was talk about what he is going to do instead of what his outfit has done so far.

“Virtually, he was just talking as if he was on a campaign trail, still making promises. Instead of him to be telling us exactly what he has been able to do in 2017, the President wasted all the time talking about what he was going to do,” he said.

Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu, in reaction to Muntaka’s claims, said once they are in opposition, the minority will never be satisfied with government’s efforts at developing the country.

“It is typical that in opposition you have to rubbish everything that is right under your nose. Even he [Muntaka Mubarak] would have to admit that the improvements in the indices as indicated by the President are remarkable. You will marvel at it and so I am not surprised that he is saying he heard nothing,” she said.

She challenged some of the information put out by the Chief Whip, saying they were inaccurate.

“Unfortunately, all the facts that he claims he has put out are nonfactual and are bombs, and I challenge you to do a fact check,” she said.

The state of the nation address

President Akufo-Addo touted the achievements of the government in stabilizing the economy, implementing the Free SHS and clearing a huge chunk of debts owed by National Health Insurance Scheme and contractors in the past one year.

He also reiterated the efforts and strategies underway to put the economy on a sound footing, improve agriculture, enhance road network, revive the country’s rail network, the health sector, as well as give real meaning to the fight against corruption.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Akufo-Addo delivered ‘State of Promises’ – Minority appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful, who is also the Minister of Communications, said the NPP continues to record petty avoidable conflicts during elections particularly at the primaries level, which affects the integrity of the party in the Constituency.

[contextly_sidebar id=”lRiXdtKZhY1OKClM4CW89cgFgzh3CpZB”]She was addressing hundreds of party members and sympathizers at the Ablekuma West Constituency Annual Delegates Conference in Accra, to deliberate on the progress of the party and the way forward.

This is in fulfillment of the party’s constitutional provision, which enjoins the party executives to call an annual delegates conference at the constituency level ahead of its regional and national delegate conferences.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said government was resolute to fulfill the promises in the party’s manifesto, and what it needed was “patience and maximum co-operation from the public”.

She assured the constituents that she would bring to bear her experience to propel the efforts of government to create more jobs to mitigate the menace of unemployment.

“We know you are looking forward to enjoying the benefits of your toils. Be assured that government is working assiduously to address your needs, and very soon, you will reap from your sweat,” she said.

The Minister said the public sector had limited job opportunities and that, government was directing its energies into harnessing the potentials of the private sector to become a viable source of jobs.

She said the NPP government needed more support as the party inherited “almost empty coffers” left over by the previous government.

“We inherited huge debts, so we are fixing things to regain progress in our economy. God is with us, and very soon we will get there. We are investing hugely in information technology, which is a great source of employment opportunities for every country.”

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful cautioned the party members and sympathizers against all forms of indecent behaviour, saying “President Akufo-Addo is a man of justice and will not spare anyone who flouts the law and retards the progress of the nation irrespective of your party affiliation.”

“The President is a president for all Ghanaians and not for only one party. Let us note this and act accordingly,” she added.

The conference attracted some of the party’s big shots including, General Secretary John Boadu, Mr Ebenezer Nii Nartey, MP for Ablekuma Central, Mr Adjei Sowa, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive and Mr Jeff Konadu Addo, Director General of National Information Technology Agency.

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Source: GNA

The post You’ll reap from your sweat soon – Ursula tells supporters appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This will take place at the Accra International Conference Center from 17-21 July 2017.

Addressing a press launch in Accra, the Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, underscored the importance of open data in delivering quality services to citizens, adding that Ghana will take a leading role in open data in the West Africa sub-Region.

“I think the decision has already been taken that we will not only be part of it, but we will take the lead and show the way in the sub-region” she said.

She pointed out that, ‘there are various building blocks that we need to put in place to ensure that we generate usable data so that application developers, academics, researchers and ordinary citizens can get the information that they need from their government’.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful firmly believes making Ghana a data open country, will help citizens make government officials more accountable.

“it will also help make government more accountable to the people. So people don’t sit on information and think it is their personal property and you need to know some big persons before you can get information or even information about yourself.”

The first conference in Africa was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 2015.

Government and open data expert, Katherine Townsend, is upbeat about the prospects of open data for Ghana’s development.

“Ghana is actually the continent’s lead in open data. What this conference can do for Ghana is to re-infuse its work on open data and all the people who have been working in transparency in government and service delivery for years, to highlight the work they are doing, bring in new investments, new partners and specifically give training to the current and new generation of the people working in open data space, and really present Ghana again as the leader in open data in Africa”.

This year’s conference will focus on open data for sustainable development in Africa, with sub-themes like gender, health, agriculture and nutrition, energy, Sustainable Development Goals, extractive industry and education.

Ghana’s specific outcomes from the conference include identifying the kind of data regime needed for the most effective and robust system for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana to host 2nd Africa open data conference for SDGs appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful worked with Zain but was dismissed by the company on January, 8, 2009.

During her vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, she explained that her dismissal was because the company viewed her media engagements to be an embarrassment to it.

In lieu of Zain’s reasoning, Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said she felt her rights had been infringed upon, thus, she dragged her former employer to the Human Rights court.

“Since they ascribed a reason for that, I took them to the Human Rights court saying they had infringed on my right of free expression and association. So it is purely a human rights matter. It has nothing to do with the work they do or their professionalism.”

Zain no longer in Ghana

The question posed to Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful was in reference to the link between Airtel Ghana and Zain. Zain’s parent company, MTC International Corporation sold its holdings in Africa to Airtel.

She however assured that, the issues notwithstanding, moves are in place to ensure an amicable end to the legal tussle.

“There have been moves to settle that matter now and I believe we are close to a conclusion on that matter.”

“Zain is no longer working in this country. The actors have changed. The company has changed. The nature of the case is personal and not professional and I will deal with them in a manner which is in the best interests of this country.”

“I don’t see any potential problems or conflicts particularly if the moves initiated to settle this matter out of court also come to fruition sooner rather than later,” Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I won’t harass Airtel over my Zain lawsuit – Ursula appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.