The Deputy Minister of Communications, Dr. B. Aggrey Ntim, has told Parliament that it was government's policy to provide access to modern telephone services across the length and breadth of the country.

He said with the improved "enabling environment currently pertaining in the country and which is attracting investments into the sector, telecom transmission as well as network capacity is expanding gradually to enable wider coverage for telecom services."

The Deputy Minister was answering questions on plans to extend services to five constituencies, including Chiana Paga and the Ahafo-Ano North constituencies.

He said: "Mr Speaker, Ghana Telecom will provide Paga border area with very good quality telephone facility by second quarter of 2007, according to their programme."

He said there were already "traces of signals in Paga from Navrongo and some residents can enjoy voice services via fixed cellular telephony."

Dr Ntim said under the Universal Access to Telecommunication Project, Ghana Investment Fund for Telecommunication (GIFTEL), had also commenced collaboration with telecom operators to provide a common telephone mast facility to extend telecom services to Paga and Chiana in the Upper East region.

On the extension of facilities to the Ahafo-Ano North constituency, he said Ghana Telecom has planned to provide landline services to Akwasiase, Mabang, Mamfo, Anyinasuso and other nearby communities in the area by the first quarter of 2008.

The Deputy Minister said services would be extended in the other constituencies, adding that Ghana Telecom has planned to provide fixed line services to Krachi East constituency by the second quarter of this year.

Source: GNA