The Government of Ghana, through the Ministries of Communication and Finance signed an $89 million contract in December, 2017 with Kelni GVG Limited.

The contract was to develop and implement a common platform for traffic monitoring, revenue assurance, mobile money monitoring and fraud management.

However, there has been a lot of speculation as to the political machinations taking place out of the public’s eye.

Per reports, SUBAH Infosolutions Limited in 2014, was contracted by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), to deal with suspected revenue losses and the SIMBOX fraud within the telecos despite resistance from the National Communications Authority (NCA).

However, the New Patriotic Party’s government had introduced a third player in Kelni GVG and thrown out the two other competitors.

In a statement signed by the Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, the termination was said to be necessary because there was a duplication of efforts by both companies.

It continues that none of the two companies were providing the real time traffic monitoring solution required for effective revenue assurance but were depending on Call Detail Records provided by the various mobile operators.

The information was freely available to the NCA and as a result, the government was paying both entities essentially for no work done.

SUBAH Infosolutions has however gone to court to contest the cancellation of their contract.

The contract with Kelni GVG was executed in accordance with the Communications Service Tax (Amendment) Act, 2013, Act 864.

The Act states that “the Minister for Finance in collaboration with the Minister responsible for Communications shall establish a common platform as a monitoring mechanism to verify the actual revenue that accrue to service providers for the purpose of computing taxes due to Government under Act 864 and revenues accruing from levies under the Electronic Communications Act 2008 (Act 775) as amended”.

Under the law which Kelni GVG was contracted, the Board of Directors of the NCA do not have the authority to approve or reject the contract.

However, per the respective enabling enactments, i.e. Act 775 as amended, in the case of the NCA and Act 864 in the case of the GRA, both the NCA and the GRA are the implementing agencies.

According to a statement released by the Board of Directors of the NCA, Kelni GVG will provide real time monitoring of all traffic and revenue generated from mobile and fixed network operators, real time information on the volumes and values of transaction of mobile money and fraud management (SIMBOX tracking and geo-location).

The NCA also denied claims of the possible resignation of some Board members following the controversy surrounding the Kelni GVG contract.

The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, claimed that following the resignation of a member of the NCA Board, Susan Adjorkor Kumapley, more members would resign over the deal.

The NCA in rejecting this statement asserted that; the claims about some members threatening to resign is “false and should be disregarded”.

According to the NCA, Mrs. Susan Adjorkor Kumapley gave no reasons for her resignation.

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu also released a statement denying that as leader of the Minority, he and members of the Minority were working with or for the Ministry of Communication and the NCA.

He indicated that they have no part in the negotiation with Kelni GVG following news reports on Ghanaweb.com and attributed to Starrfmonline with the headline “Top Opposition MP behind $89M Kelni GVG deal”.

Report by : Clara Doku