Official Launch of the Common Platform for Telecom Revenue Assurance and Regulatory Oversight in Ghana

ACCRA, Ghana, October 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• A unique real-time international telecommunications monitoring platform for voice and data traffic 
• Increased capabilities in getting accurate view of the telecom data to ensure comprehensive calculation of telecom specific taxes  
• More than 1,1 M USD monthly savings for the government compared to previous services 
• A unique system to fight against SIM-box fraud and money laundering  
• A 5 years contract at the end of which the NCA will have the full ownership and management of the Common Platform. 

The Common Platform inaugurated By Ghana's President today aims at fulfilling a triple objective:

• Providing to Ghanaians authorities a unique real-time supervision system on international telecoms statistical data for a comprehensive calculation of telecom-specific taxes and levies
• Fighting against SIM-box fraud
• Monitoring mobile money transfer and fighting against money laundering

For 55% less than previous contracts - the Ghanaian government saves 66 M USD over the life of the agreement - the CP developed by Kelni-GVG provides major innovations such as real-time telecoms statistics monitoring, fraudulent SIM-Boxes geolocalization and supervision of mobile money transfer.

This platform, unique across the African continent, brings to the Government an independent and transparent view on telecommunications statistics for a better calculation of telecoms taxes and the increase of their collection.

"For the very first time in Ghana modern history, the government, the GRA and the NCA have full visibility over important sectors of the country's economy, Telecoms and Mobile Financial Services, and can now regulate and oversee them based on comprehensive data, as opposed to periodic and partial reports and statements", says Ato Afful, CEO of Kelni-GVG.

It dramatically improves collaboration between the NCA and the industry stakeholders in their ongoing fight against grey traffic and SIM-box fraud which represents a real plague across the African continent, allowing the NCA to efficiently coordinate anti-fraud measures and processes across the industry.

Throughout greater transparency, the CP provides accountability for the telecom sector in Ghana to the benefits of all stakeholders, including the government, the industry players themselves and, above all, the customers whose interests are much better protected by the telecom authorities via permanent verification systems.

It contributes to Ghana's economic growth, facilitates the development of ITC thanks to improved quality of international telecommunications (voice & data) and to the development of micro and nano-credit for a better financial inclusion.

The Common Platform does not have any access to the content of a communication (voice, SMS contents). It collects the required information to rebuild necessary telecommunications statistics from what we call "signaling" in the telecommunications industry. There is no Personal Data on the CP (The CP does not have the capability to match numbers with names/real persons). Thus the CP is protecting privacy rights of all Ghanaians in conformity to Ghana's Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843).

• Edmund Fianko, Project manager at NCA

"The common platform is a verification system, it does not generate direct revenue." 

"In the past we just trust it, now we can independently verify. So we have systems connected to the operator data center that gives us very raw data which is processed and enables us to be able to know the volume that has passed and what revenues are due on account on the communication services that have been delivered in the country." 

• Ursula Owusu-Ekusu, Minister of Communications of Ghana

"I urge all the telcos to cooperate with the NCA/GRA and KelniGVG and provide the information they need to monitor that space as well." 

"There was never any intention to infringe on the privacy of citizens communications through the common platform. That was a myth put out by some civil society organizations which led to some law suits against the platform. Their injunction application was thrown out by the High Court." 

"Our only motivation was to provide an objective means of verifying the information provided by the telcos for tax revenue purposes, in accordance with the law. For the first time in our history, this platform is actually connected to the billing nodes of all the telcos as we speak."    

Contacts 
Africa,Hillary Andoh, [e-mail]
Europe, Tristan d'Avezac, [e-mail]