The Communications and Digitalisation Minister-Designate, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful says the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) have initiated the process to take over the management of Common Platform from Kelni GVG.

The government in December 2017, signed an $89 million contract with Kelni GVG to block revenue losses in the telecommunications sector and simbox fraud.

According to Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, the contract her office signed with the company saves the nation over $1.1 million monthly and monitors over 2.5 billion transactions daily.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, The Ablekuma West MP said the contract signed was in the right direction to protect revenue losses.

“The NCA and the GRA are ultimately, expected to take over and manage this platform for their own regulatory purposes and to assist them to perform their obligation under the Act. And so that knowledge and technology transfer is currently taking place.

“Mr Chairman, the introduction of the Common Platform resulted in cost saving of $1.1 million monthly to the government of Ghana as against the previous situation. That is less cost for more value,” she said.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful further added that government is in the process of establishing the Cyber Security Authority following the passage of Cyber security Act 2020 by Parliament in 2020.

“The law has just been passed and so we're in the process of setting up those structures. But the centre which existed, and it is going to be transformed into the Authority and beefed up, has already done some work.

“Now, once the Authority is operational, all of this architecture is going to be in place and we are going to see a more robust defence of our critical national information infrastructure.”