Vendors and Merchants Of MTN Recharge Cards Up In Arms Against Telecommunication Company

Vendors and merchants of MTN products and services are up in arms against accredited dealers of the telecommunication company due to a hike in prices of recharge vouchers. According to angry merchants and vendors who thronged the premises of Neat 100.9 FM , Ghana�s leading telecommunications network, MTN and its main distributors in the Greater Accra Region like IZONE Ghana Limited are giving them a raw deal by banning them from transferring an increment on the price of recharge vouchers to the end-users. �How can MTN come out to issue a statement that there has not been an increment in prices of top-up cards whiles IZONE has circulated documents indicating the new prices but we can�t increase ours�? �..This statement has created huge confusion between us and our customers because retailers were coming to terms with the new change. We seem to taken for a ride by MTN and their affiliates because other networks treat us better and with much respect than they do,� he fumed. However Hayat Ashka, the Sales Manager of IZONE confirmed the price hike in a telephone interview with Adakabre Frimpong Manso the Host of Me Man Nti programme but insisted that it was to be transferred to the consumer. �..the increment is coming from MTN but it is not supposed to be passed on to buyers. We went through a lot of consultation with the merchants before implementing this. I am surprised they have taken to radio stations instead of coming to our offices for explanations�. But in a sharp rebuttal, a Senior Marketing Executive of MTN, Abubakar Mohammed stated that it is not true that the prices of vouchers have been increased but rather the commissions of accredited dealers have been reduced. To him, the adjustment is insignificant and was therefore agreed not to be passed on to merchants and vendors though he stopped at discussing the issue into detail. Nonetheless, Scofray Nana Yaw Yeboah, a Social commentator and a member of the studio panel to discuss the issue cautioned MTN to take their credibility seriously because that is what every company thrives on. �..I expect the Headquarters of MTN to be boiling by now. I expect the Head of Marketing to be having a meeting with Operations to find a way out of this issue because I do not know IZONE. It is only MTN I know. People have began porting their numbers to other networks and should therefore not sit down on this matter,� he opined.