My Ghana Electronic Desk

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE A quarterly Network performance assessment report released by the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) few days ago, indicates that Airtel is, by far, the number one quality network in Malawi.     The MACRA report looks at the performance of the two mobile phone service providers in the months of October, November and December in 2011 and analyses the Key Performance Indicators which have been achieved by the Global System for Mobile Communications (GMS) service in the areas of Radio Network, Call Set up Success Rate, SDCCH congestion, Traffic Channel congestion, Call Drop Rate, Trunk Congestion, and Mobile Switch Centre Availability and Intelligence Network Platform availability.  The report, which was published in the daily press shows that Airtel Malawi is leading in service performance as compared to other networks.  According to the report, Airtel managed to beat MACRA’s call set up  target of 98%  by posting 98.9% in October, 99

EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE KPMG, a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services, has convened a panel of experts for the sixth episode in its Africa Conversations Series, to discuss the most pertinent trends and challenges related to investing in Africa today. Named ‘Transacting in Africa’ the discussion held in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 30, 2012, was aimed at addressing the complexities of doing business in Africa. According to the conveners,   w ith the 'Great Africa Business Migration' well under way, discussions around the realities of doing business on the continent are now at a critical point. In KPMG’s view, the discussions are very critical because Africa is far from being a homogeneous continent, as all of its 55 countries operate in different regulatory, tax and competitive environments. Stressing the importance of the panel discussion, it said transacting in Africa poses complexities that companies need to factor in. 

BY EDMUND SMITH-ASANTE Leading global telecommunications company, Bharti Airtel, has announced a partnership with the largest e-learning provider in Africa – The Learning Resources Management Group – to provide an extensive e-learning programme for Airtel employees across 17 African countries. Making the announcement Wednesday, July 25, 2012, the company said implementation of the programme signals a new dawn of staff development, reinforcing its commitment to nurture and develop local talent and groom its employees for leadership positions within the company. Speaking on what informed the programme, David Ssegawa, Chief Human Resources Officer at Airtel Africa, explained; “Our people are our main source of competitive advantage, We are committed in investing and providing our employees with opportunities to learn and grow within the organisation.” “This latest initiative is in line with our commitment to nurture local talent and develop the capabilities of the workforce