Business News of Monday, 24 July 2017
Source: Thefinderonline.com
2017-07-24
Kwaku Sakyi-Addo
The Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, has tasked businesses in Ghana to take note of the increasing number of mobile voice subscriptions in Ghana and leverage technology to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, grow revenues and increase their market shares.
Speaking at the fourth Annual Lecture of the Today Newspaper in Accra yesterday on the topic ‘Using digital technology to accelerate business growth in Ghana’ Mr Sakyi-Addo said there were several opportunities in the technology space, especially mobile telephony for businesses to take advantage of.
The NCA Board Chairman disclosed that total number of mobile voice subscriptions in Ghana as at April 2017 was 36million representing a total penetration of 127%.
Mobile telephony, he maintained, had been at the centre of the success stories, improved productivity by increasing efficiencies, lowering the cost of transaction, improving security, generating new employment opportunities and creating for businesses to grow.
The internet had changed traditional ways of doing things in business and even at home.
“Digital technology is taking place at the forefront of business innovation today and it has helped transform businesses around the world; it’s played a key role in driving business growth in Ghana too, both for big businesses as well as for small and medium scale enterprises,” he observed.
For artisans such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians in neighborhoods and communities, digital technology has proved useful to their small businesses and enterprises.
“They take photos of the jobs they’re doing or the work you want them to do and share so that things get done more quickly than before,” he noted.
“When it’s all done they get paid by mobile money so technology has in very basic ways made life simpler, easier and businesses more efficient and people becoming more productive as a result,” Mr Sakyi-Addo added.
Deputy Minister for Communications, Mr George Andah, said preparations were ongoing to complete the construction of an ICT park which when would accelerate the promotion of research and development and entrepreneurship among the youth. “We will celebrate more All University achievements, we will celebrate more 19-year-olds, like Gabriel Opare, to challenge the dominance of the youtubes and googles,” he said.
The Ministry of Communications, he announced had operationalised the Accra Digital Centre to accommodate companies to provide job opportunities and nurture digital entrepreneurs.
