The Minister for Information, Stephen Asamoah Boateng has indicated that, government is in final stages of concluding agreement with a leading telecommunications company to sell off 70 percent shares in Ghana Telecom. Negotiations are far advanced and details will be made known to the public when it is concluded.

A statement issued yesterday by the Ministry indicated that the sale is to ensure efficiency and improve the general output of GT.

"The agreement when conduced will raise the level of efficiency and technical competence of the telecoms industry in Ghana", the statement added.

"The opening up of the telecom industry and the fair competition that it will ensure will be beneficial to consumers and help to boost Ghana's image as the telecommunications hub in West Africa", the statement further adds.

According to the statement, the negotiation is in fulfillment of government's objectives and financial plans laid out in the 2007 Supplementary Budget to divest state-owned companies for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

But the parliamentarians of the opposition National Democratic Congress, have questioned the basis upon which government has decided to choose Vodafone PLC UK as the sole investor to acquire majority shares in GT.

According to them, though they are not against the sale, the "secrecy" with which government is going about the process raises suspicions and it does not conform to the Public Procurement Act.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Ranking Member on Telecommunications and MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu wondered why Vodafone PLC UK, which was not one of the companies that bid for GT has been selected now that the first phase of the national fiber optic backbone has been completed.

"The Minority wants to know why Government is exclusively negotiating with only Vodafone plc UK without consideration for other bidders who are likely to offer higher bid than Vodafone, and address the socio-economic needs of the country".

According to them, "the current situation is clearly against and in breach of established norms and standards for the privatisation of a Telecom entity as required by the International Telecommunications Union".

He said, a major requirement as was advertised by government for a strategic investor was for a stated criteria of significant fixed wire-line operations experience hence the selection of Vodafone which only operates mobile service does not meet the criteria that government is seeking.

Mr Iddrisu alleged, "that requirement cannot be met by Vodafone PLC UK as it is a wireless mobile network operator and has no real fixed network operations record-experience, no dedicated unbundled broadband internet experience.

"As such, when they take over, they may abandon fixed network of Ghana Telecom’s assets being included in this transaction. We demand to know why this has been included as part of Ghana Telecom’s assets as the second phase of this ICT infrastructure highway is yet to commence", he further added.

"The Minority reminds government of the provisions of the constitution and the public Procurement Act and calls on the Government and Vodafone PLC not to conclude the transaction without Parliamentary approval", he added.