Ghana lifts ban on construction of masts

WirelessFederation.com/news: Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) has lifted the temporary moratorium placed on the issuance of permits for the construction of telecommunication towers.

A statement issued by MEST announced that the Inter-Ministerial Committee had adopted new guidelines for the deployment of telecommunication towers in the country.

It said the guidelines encapsulated issues such as Pan-application requirements for new sites, application processes, requirements for various permitting agencies, operational requirements, structural requirements, co-location and penalties for breach of guidelines.

The statement said the decision was a collaborative effort on the part of the IMC, the Industrial Technical Committee made up of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Town and Country Planning Department, telecommunication operators, civil organisations and the general public.

It advised telecommunication operators to accordingly adhere to the new guidelines as they deployed their infrastructure.

Threats by Mike Adenuga owned Glo Mobile, a major telecommunications operator, to leave the country because of perceived frustration have attracted a response from the government.