Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has commended IT outfit, Subah Infosolutions for the collaborative efforts between it, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), National Communication Authority (NCA) and Telecom Service Providers in Ghana to clamp down on SIM box fraudsters.
Subah Infosolutions on Thursday, January 8, 2015, introduced a new technology to augment existing devices in its "Triangulation Project" which helps to identify SIM boxes.
Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Prosper Kwame Agbor, in a press conference in Accra yesterday, noted that Subah Infosolutions provided technical assistance in a joint action from the CID and the other stakeholders in the Telecom sector to combat the influx of SIM box fraud syndicate.
He disclosed that the State within a period of four and seven months has lost to a tune of GHC 107,495, 000; in revenue due to the activities of SIM box fraudsters in the country.
The anti-fraud joint task force as part of its operations arrested some persons involved in criminal activity.
The operation led to the arrest of former President of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) and his accomplices.
Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Mr. Pratt expressed worry over the activities of the fraudsters, claiming that such activities keep running the economy into abyss.
This is because, according to him, the fraudsters tend to draw about 9 million dollars from the coffers of the Telecom networks, which cost the Government of Ghana and the service providers in their operations.
According to the Chairman of the NCA, Kwaku Sakyi Addo, the Telecom networks charged 19 cents per minute for each call the customers make and are supposed to pay off 6 cents to government, aside the taxes they pay on their services.
This therefore explains that SIM box fraudsters are siphoning hugely from the service providers which invariably affects the progress of the economy.
To Kwesi Pratt, by virtue of the fact that the fraudsters are gaining such huge amount through their illegal activity, the service providers may fail to pay taxes due them and the Government of Ghana may lose a lot in revenue.
SIM box fraud is "is a theft. Nothing can justify it. It’s not justified. We have to fight it…As for me; there cannot be any justification for SIM box fraud.
“The only way we can prevent SIM box fraud is if international call charges are the same applicable charges. For as long as there’s a difference between international call charges and local charges, SIM box fraud can take place because it’s lucrative," Mr. Pratt elucidated.
He further told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that joint task force should be spurred to ensure that the fraudsters are apprehended.
“We should commend Subah for what they've done and stop these things that sometime ago, they were in trouble…This arrest is in the interest of the Telecom; Kwaku Sakyi Addo [NCA Chairman] said that. It’s in the interest of Ghana Revenue Authority. It’s in the interest of the Police. It’s in the interest of everybody.”
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