MTN says spends GH¢51m on fuel in 2014

Telecommunication giant, MTN Ghana, last year, expended GH¢51 million on fuel and utility bills,  in order to keep its cell sites active.

Mrs. Cynthia Lumor, Head of Corporate Services, made the disclosure during a stakeholder engagement with the media, in the Western Region in Takoradi, on Thursday to update them on its operations.

She said, the company budgeted GH¢35 million for fuel and utility last year, however, as a result of the power outages, it spent additional GH¢16 million in order to power its generators.

She said the company suffered 94 fibre cuts across the country in 2014, while 47 had been recorded this year, thus disrupting transmission of data for its clients.

Mrs. Lumor stressed that the company’s security outfit was collaborating with the Ghana Police Service, to curb such practices.

She, therefore, appealed to the public to provide vital information to the police in order to apprehend those criminals.

She announced that the telecommunication giant made huge investment in its operations to ensure reliable and quality services to its clients, adding that in 2014 $103 million was expended on technical infrastructure, network maintenance and resource optimization.

With regards to social investment, she said, the company supported communities and schools with educational and health facilities and offered scholarships to brilliant but needy students, to pursue their education at different levels.

Mr. Godwill Arthur-Mensah, Western Regional Vice-Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), expressed his gratitude to MTN for supporting media organizations.

He said the GJA has had fruitful collaboration with MTN over the years, and expressed optimism that the relationship would be sustained to help the country’s fledgling democracy to succeed.

Source: GNA