The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has assured workers of AirtelTigo that the government has no intention to lay them off.
The government last week announced that it has assumed complete ownership of AirtelTigo.
The move follows the conclusion of an agreement between the government and the parent companies of AirtelTigo, Bharti Airtel Ghana Holdings B.V., MIC Africa B.V to transfer the shares of the company to the government
It also follows the announcement of the company’s departure from the Ghanaian market last year.
Speaking with Nana Yaa Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (30 April), Owusu-Ekuful said, “We want to assure the staff [of AirtelTigo] however that, we have no intent to lay them off; their jobs are secure.”
She added: “We don’t intend to burden them [AirtelTigo] necessarily by adding jobs that they do not need.”
Owusu-Ekuful said: “Government intends to put in some financing upfront [into AirtelTigo]… It is a capital intensive industry; the more you put in, the more you are likely to earn.”
Watch excerpts of the interview below:
Background
Bharti Airtel in 2017 agreed to merge with Tigo in Ghana to become the country’s second-largest mobile operator, AirtelTigo.
The National Communications Authority granted approval for the merger for the two companies to combine their operations.
AirtelTigo serves around 5.1 million subscribers and offers employment opportunities to almost 10,000 people, both directly and indirectly.
Celtel International, a subsidiary of Zain (formerly named the MTC Group) in 2007 acquired 75% of Western Telesystems Ltd (Westel) from the Government of Ghana for US$120 million.
The Government of Ghana remained a shareholder in Westel with a 25% holding through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, until the above merger.
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