Accra, Dec. 5, GNA –
The National Communications Authority (NCA) Thursday announced that it has
sanctioned the Mobile Network Operator (MNO), MTN Ghana, for failing to comply
with its directives over some challenges with their network recently.
The telecom giant
has, therefore, been asked to pay two fines totalling GH¢100,000.00 in
addition to a daily fine of GH¢10,000.00 from Wednesday, December 4, until the
NCA receives the requested report.
An official
statement, issued by the Communications regulator, and copied to the Ghana News
Agency, in Accra, said the Authority directed MTN to submit a report on the
challenges within 24 hours of receipt of the directive, among other directives.
“Monitoring by the
NCA has indicated that the MNO has begun rolling out compensation and refunds
to affected subscribers accordingly,” the statement said.
“However, MTN had
failed to submit the report by the deadline indicated.
“As a result, and in
line with the gazetted Schedule of Penalties gazetted in May 2015, the NCA has,
therefore, imposed the following sanctions on MTN:
“1. A fine of GH¢10,000.00 daily in
accordance with Section N (7) of the Authority’s gazetted Schedule of Penalties
for failure to submit the report by 4th December, 2019.
“It should be noted
that this Pecuniary Penalty is a fine of GH¢10,000.00 for each day the
infraction persists from 4th December to such time that MTN submits the report.
“2. A fine of GH¢50,000.00 in accordance
with Section N (23) of the Authority’s gazetted Schedule of Penalties for
failure to give notice as soon as possible to the Authority, all affected
persons including subscribers for challenges with billing inaccuracies
regarding the purchase of their telecommunications service bundles.
“3. A fine of GH¢50,000.00 in accordance
with Section N (23) of the Authority’s gazetted Schedule of Penalties for
failure to give notice as soon as possible to the Authority, all affected
persons including subscribers for inaccessibility of MTN’s Customer Care lines.
“MTN has also been
instructed to ensure that the fines are paid by close of business on Monday,
9th December, 2019.
“The NCA further
entreat consumers to report all challenges to the Authority to its Complaints
Unit after duly reporting to the MNO concerned.
The contact details
for the NCA Complaints Unit is:
Toll Free –
0800-110-622
Email – [email protected]
“The Authority will
also continue to monitor the situation to ensure that consumers duly receive
services they have paid for and as well ensure that service providers comply
with their licences”.
The National
Communications Authority, (NCA), was established by an Act of Parliament, Act
524 in December 1996, which has been repealed and replaced by the National
Communications Authority Act, 2008 (Act 769).
The Authority is the
statutory body mandated to license and to regulate electronic communication
activities and services in the country.
GNA
