A bill to regulate the erection of mobile phone masts is to be laid before Parliament soon. The document, put together by a technical committee comprising officials drawn from the Ministry for Environment, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Local Government Ministry and other interest groups, introduces specific procedures telecommunication companies need to follow before erecting masts. Conflicts between residents on one hand over concerns about the health implications of living close to masts and a desire by the mobile companies to expand their coverage forced a suspension of the issuance of new permits. Officials of the Environment Ministry have declined to provide details of the draft bill but say when passed into law it will streamline the current haphazard manner in which the masts are erected to bring it to acceptable international standards. Source: Joy Business/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana