Sunyani — The government has been urged to consider telecommunications infrastructure such as fibre cables national security assets to protect such facilities against theft and destruction.

Making the call at a stakeholders forum in Sunyani on Wednesday, the Chief Sales and Distribution Executive Officer of MTN, Samuel Addo, said telecommunication was a major infrastructure for socio-economic development of the country, hence the need to curb the incessant fibre cuts and theft across the country.

Participants included security personnel, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Communications Authority and Department of Urban Roads.

He announced that as a means to address the situation, MTN Ghana and the Economic and Organised Crime (EOCO) Unit, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address the issue of mobile money fraud and its related matters.

The partnership comes as the need for more concerted efforts by stakeholders and multi-sectorial collaboration to tackle mobile money and internet fraud becomes critical and urgent.

Mr Addo said as part of the company's social corporate responsibility, it was investing $25 million for the construction of an Information, Communication Technology (ICT) hub in Ghana to develop the youth of the country.

This, he said would help train and equip the youth with the needed skills for future employment.

Mr Addo added that the company was a significant contributor to Ghana's economy with GH¢4 billion of which GH¢3.7 million was in direct taxes in 2022.

The General Area Manager, Northern sector of MTN, Nii Adotey Enning, on his part, said his outfit was committed to bridging the digital divide, furthering financial inclusion and advancing the attainment of the United Nations' sustainable Development Goals to leverage technology in serving the people.