Wed Apr 16 03:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Ghana Government Scraps US$178 Million Telecom Monitoring Contract

**Accra, Ghana – April 14, 2025** – The Ghanaian government has announced it will not renew a controversial US$178 million contract with Haitian ICT firm Kelni GVG for a Common Monitoring Platform (CMP). The ten-year contract, signed in 2018, aimed to track international calls and prevent revenue leakage in the telecommunications sector.

The decision, announced by Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George, follows years of criticism over the deal’s transparency, cost-effectiveness, and data privacy implications. Critics, including the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and policy think tanks like IMANI Africa, argued the contract lacked transparency, was overpriced, and offered poor value for money. Concerns were also raised about Kelni GVG’s lack of a proven track record in this area and the disproportionate 84% of revenue the firm received.

While the then-Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, defended the contract in 2018, claiming it was the best deal for Ghana, the current government cited these concerns, along with concerns from the previous Mahama administration, as reasons for its termination. The government’s decision highlights a growing scrutiny of government contracts and a focus on ensuring value for taxpayer money.

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