Gov’t relationship with StarTimes will create jobs – Ursula

Communications minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful says government’s relationship with the Chinese firm, StartTimes will create jobs.

Her comments come after Parliament’s Communications Committee has resolved to officially summon her for an interrogation over issues involving StarTimes.

She might also be interrogated over government’s $89 million deal with KelniGVG.

The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has raised concerns over the involvement of StarTimes in the project which has been built by a local firm, K-Net.

According to GIBA, StarTimes has already set up a pay-TV in Ghana, therefore, allowing them to handle the entire DTT infrastructure would threaten Ghana’s security and independence.

But these fears were refuted by the government.

The government had previously said the platform will be managed by a new firm called the Central Digital Transmission Company, which will be presided over by a seven-member Board, on which GIBA has a representative.

Some Ghanaians have also questioned the move.

But the Communications Minister does not understand the opposition the project has received.

She told Joy News Joseph Opoku-Gakpo it is expected that when the project is fully rolled out, 6,000 households across the country will have decoders which they can watch for free for six months.

Related: 2 join fight against StarTimes TV deal

Two members of each of these communities will be trained in the operations and maintenance an set up of these systems creating jobs for them in the process – over a 1,000 jobs, she said.

“I am excited about that because it is giving these two selected individuals in these communities an opportunity to also acquire the skills to set up and provide after sales service to these decoders and tv sets in the remotest communities in this country.

“We have an agenda for jobs, this project will provide our young people with skills which will enable them to work not just on this StarTimes project but to install and service any decoder that any of these companies that are currently in this country provides for their subscribers,” the minister who is also Ablekuma West MP stated.

On fears that giving the project to StarTimes will distort the market and create a situation where the Chinese firm will dominate the market more than local firms, the minister does not see how that will happen.

“There are over 10,000 communities in this country, DSTV has offered free decoders, Kwese TV has offered free decoders, Multi TV when they started, offered free decoders those did not distort the market and yet StarTimes when it offers free decoders will distort the market.

“Where is the logic in that? I fail to see it,” she added.

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