According to her, the fact that the NCA has received the petitions does not mean the affected stations would be reinstated, but their request would be reviewed on case by case basis.

[contextly_sidebar id=”TZa53wLCU6MTGnVZotBFNpCeW9wN3HNj”]Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful made the revelation when she appeared before Parliament to brief the House on the spectrum audit carried out by the National Communication Authority.

The National Communication Authority recently imposed various sanctions on 131 radio stations for flouting its  regulations with respect to the use of spectrum in the country.

The Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) mandates the NCA to regulate the radio spectrum designated or allocated for use by broadcasting organisations and providers of broadcasting services in accordance with the standards and requirement of the International Telecommunication Union and its Radio Regulations as agreed to or adopted by the Republic.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful also stated that, where there was merit in the petition to reduce or amend the sanctions, the Ministry would work in consultation with the NCA to communicate that to the respective stations.

“The same law which gave the media the power to operate, is the same law which also gave the NCA power to sanction you,” she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said prior to 2015, the NCA had the power to impose any sanction at all they chose, but the schedule of penalties put a cap on how much they could impose per day which is GHC10,000.

She said, on hindsight, if Parliament thought the sanctions were too much, the House had the power to amend the law, adding that, until the law was amended or changed, it had to be applied as it was.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful also debunked claims by Samuel George, NDC Member of Parliament Ningo-Prampram, that the NCA did not have the power to impose any fees on their own ,and that it should have been brought to the House for determination.

She explained that the LI 1919 gave the NCA the power to impose any fees at all, and punish those who flouted the regulations, adding that the only thing they had to do was to publish the schedule of fees on their website and newspapers.

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Source: GNA

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According to Management of the GWCL, the shutdown is to enable the company to replace a faulty section of the 36-inch Weija Transmission line at Kokroko near Awoshie Junction, install a production meter and also undertake other maintenance works at the Weija Headworks.

As a result of the shutdown, water supply to western and central parts of Accra will be interrupted.

Areas that will be affected include Kasoa, CP, Nyanyaano, Amanfro, Obom Road, Weija, Tetegu, McCarthy Hill, SCC, Tuba, Brigade, Bortianor, Mallam, Gbawe, Odorkor, Awoshie, Sowutuom, Israel, Achimota, Ofankor, Galilea, Abeka, Lapaz, Tesano, Darkuman, Bubuashie, Kaneshie, Awudome, Industrial Area, Mataheko and Abossey Okai.

Other areas to be affected include Dansoman, Laterbiokorshie, Chorkor, Mamprobi, Korle-Bu, James Town, Okaishie, Adabraka, Asylum Down, Circle, Kokomlemle, Accra New Town, Alajo, Abelemkpe, Kotobaabi, Pig Farm, Maamobi, Nima, Kanda, 37, Ridge, Ministries, Osu, La, Cantonments and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, Management of GWCL has appealed to customers in the affected areas to store enough water to last them for the period.

To minimise the impact of the shutdown and the attendant water interruption on consumers in the western parts of Accra, management of GWCL has mobilised its own tankers and hired additional ones which would be deployed to supply water to sensitive institutions such as hospitals, polyclinics, boarding schools and even worst hit residents in the affected communities when the need arises.

Source: GNA

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