It is an established fact the Ghanaian economy has been faring impressively well over the past few years. This growth trend, according to economic observers, is attributable to the growth of so many industries including the mobile telephony industry which has no doubt had a positive impact on the living standard of the masses. The mobile industry has afforded Ghanaians so much freedom. Under the mobile business, young men and women are engaged in selling recharge cards or setting up booths where others come to make calls at what looks like a discounted rate. But how viable is this alternative? Investigations conducted by CITY&BUSINESS GUIDE show that depending on the location of a phone booth, a proprietor makes between GH¢300 and GH¢500 daily. Their daily proceeds alone therefore is in excess of what most workers such as house-helps, drivers and others earn in a whole month. But the story does not end there. Because of the lucrative nature of the phone booth business in the country, many operators quickly open up two or three more outlets, employing their younger siblings or other relatives, and profit doubles or triples. Ken Adarkwa interviewed at Circle in Accra says the phone business has indeed been rewarding. He says he uses proceeds from his business to pay the school fees of his younger siblings. Ms Joyce Mensah operates her phone booth in the Kaneshie area. She is full of ecstasy, seven months after her friend introduced her to the business. In her own words, “my eyes are now open to things I didn’t know before; at least I now have some financial freedom”. Another operator who gave his name as Godwin, and operates his business on the Accra Polytechnic campus, says from the proceeds of his phone business, he is now considering starting an even bigger business. Now, a final year student of Accountancy, he says he has used profits from the business over the last three years to pay his fees and buy books. The response was similar in other parts of Accra where this survey covered. Apart from the profit from making phone calls, there is also encouragement that phone call operators make reasonable profit from the sale of recharge cards. From the foregoing it is evident that the phone business has no doubt relieved many young people of the financial burden they previously faced. Source: Daily Guide