Sam George, Minister-Designate for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, has criticized the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration for using the Significant Market Power (SMP) classification of MTN Ghana as a punitive tool, rather than a corrective measure.

During his vetting before the Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 30, George argued that the NPP government’s handling of the SMP tool failed to address market imbalances.

“The SMP tool is meant to be corrective, but the previous administration used it as a punitive measure,” George stated. He added that MTN’s market share had actually increased since the NPP government’s classification, highlighting the failure to resolve market distortions.

Under the Mahama administration, George emphasized, the SMP classification would be used to foster fair competition. “We will use the SMP as a corrective tool, not to punish an investor who has made significant contributions to our economy,” he explained.

MTN Ghana was granted the SMP classification by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in 2020 due to its dominant market position, controlling over 57% of the voice market and more than 67% of the data market. The NCA sought to address the dominance through regulatory measures, including price controls and access reviews, to promote fair competition and protect consumers.

Despite these measures, MTN has continued to lead the market, with its subscriber base and active data users both seeing significant growth, according to its third-quarter 2024 report.

Source:TheDotNews