The shenanigans of KelniGVG, the Ghanaian branch of revenue assurance auditors GVG, refuses to go away. The Ghanaian government has repeatedly defended the enormous cost of running KelniGVG’s ‘common platform’, arguing that its use to audit telco transactions represents good value because it increases the tax collected from telcos. However, BusinessGhana reports that as 2019 wound to a close, KelniGVG took a team from two regulators, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Communications Authority (NCA), for training in Madrid, Spain. The picture above shows the team from GRA and NCA with representatives from KelniGVG.
The training, which forms part of its contractual obligation, was to provide the team in-depth knowledge about the Common Platform, it components and value added services available for the two clients.
It is reported that the training:
…gave the participants the opportunity to learn and experience how the common platform monitors international incoming traffic, fraud (Sim Box), mobile money and revenue assurance.
I am all for training. However, isn’t it odd that this had to be done in Spain?
I thus headed to the website of KelniGVG. This bold declaration welcomed me:
We offer the best
We work for you!
Further:
Due to the increasing investment in infrastructure and networks (for e.g. specialized data and telecom networks amongst others) in Ghana, Kelni GVG Ltd intends to be a major player in the management of Networks and Telecommunication Service Deliveries.
Fair enough. I like ambitious companies.
We have found a niche market where we can deliver low-cost but efficient and reliable services to local and foreign companies.
Now you are talking my language. For a long time, local companies have been neglected by international players.
The Kelni GVG Ltd business model will be premised on building local content with the requisite knowledge and qualifications thereby enhancing local capacities and skills within the country.
I am so confused right now. So I head over to the FAQ.
Is Kelni GVG a foreign company?
The answer is very clear.
KelniGVG is not a foreign company.
Kelni is a Ghanaian company incorporated in 1995, with experience in electronic engineering, IT solutions and systems and other related areas.
I am liking this more and more. You mean these guys have been in operation since my time as a teenager. Would you look at that – they were in business when I was busy writing my final primary school exams! I am now trembling. Surely, I am in the presence of greatness! I have to read a few more of their webpages.
I chuckle as I read this gem on the front page of their website:
The Telecom Gurus… We are Specialists In Financial Protection & Revenue Generation Systems
Who even calls himself a guru? Isn’t that for other people to decide?
Now I need a guru to explain to me: how is it that a local company that has been in existence for 25 years cannot offer training locally in Ghana? The Common Platform is operated in Ghana, and is used to audit telcos in Ghana, so why do two Ghanaian regulatory bodies need to be flown to Spain to learn about it? One would be forgiven for saying that it appears somebody has found a niche market all right… a nice market to milk taxpayer funds.
In my past professional engagements, I have interacted with Ghanaians. They are intelligent, polite, driven and very focused. It is time they questioned this whole deal because their country and their trademark hospitality should simply not be abused in this manner.
