By Janet A. Sesay
The leading mobile company in Sierra Leone, Orange Sierra Leone, has yesterday given their final media update on operational achievements over the past years in which they have immensely contributed to the development of the country.
This presentation was done yesterday at the Orange head office at Hill Station.
The first presenter, Annie Katta, Head of Public Relations, Orange Sierra Leone, said Orange is one of the leading telecommunications operators in the world and they are presently in 19 countries with revenue of 11 billion Euros and 154,000 employed worldwide including more than 20,000 employees in 22 African countries.
She said Orange acquired Airtel’s operations in Sierra Leone in July 2016 and said the company is owned by SONATEL group as a listed company based in Senegal.
She said the company is operated by 191 permanent and 144 temporary staff and has eight directors in executive committee in addition to two non-executive committee directors.
Annie continued that Orange Sierra Leone was incorporated in 1998 and the board members are Mr. SekonDrame, Mr. Boly Traore, Fabric Andre and Aminata Kane Ndiaye.
She continued that Orange Money was incorporated in 2018 as a subsidiary company specialising in financial services. She said Orange Money was launched in 2018 Orange Overseas Money launched in 2020. Annie said Orange’s strength is based on its strong global international brand and willing and capable taxpayers and investors in Sierra Leone.
She said Orange also has the best coverage with 74% of the population, and the largest network with 440 sites in Sierra Leone. She furthered that, Orange also has a strong distribution network, a prominent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, and leads Orange Money and women empowerment.
Desmond Spain, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Orange Sierra Leone, in his presentation said the company’s CSR activities for 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic include the distribution of PPEs at regional level via stakeholders, developing CRBT as a means of enhancing COVID-19 communications and providing food items like rice, cooking oil, Maggie, onions to 100 quarantine homes.
He said they also donated android phones to EOC for security personnel to track e-pass along the checkpoint and gave 150,000 top up and 5GB to frontline staff at the three treatment centres inclusive of all EOC staff.
Desmond furthered that the company also donated Le1 billon to the National COVID Emergency Response Centre (NACOVERC) and adopted 50 Ebola orphans from six months to eighteen years old nationwide in three SOS villages.
Daniel Fornah, Head of Planning and Engineering Department, Orange Sierra Leone in his presentation said modernisation of RAN active equipment in 2017 resulted in the modernisation of 238 sites, with five sites modernised in 2018, three in 2019 and six in 2020.
He said Orange launched a new data centre where change equipment like a new switch to handle voice traffic and a new packet core for internet traffic were also deployed.
On 3G expansion, he said by the end of 2019 only 48 sites within Orange Sierra Leone’s network had 2G and that in 2020 all sites were fully upgraded to 3G.
He ended that 925 new localities were connected and thousands of Sierra Leoneans accessed data and voice services for the first time.
Patrick Kamara, B2B Marketing Manager in his presentation said over the years, Orange has expanded internet penetration in Sierra Leone and providing best quality services is a priority of their data portfolio and network.
He said the company has more than 140% reduction in price with more volume for their customers in the last three years.
Kamara also said with speed and quality their drive was launched with ‘di real 4G’ with sites in every region in Sierra Leone.
He continued that the company complemented the education section by improving the capacity of students by launching the most affordable data offer for schools and universities.
Cecil Goodman, Head of Tax and Compliance, said the company has been dealing with the Orange Wanpot service, a service combining postpaid and prepaid features that give customers a monthly bundle of local and international voice calls.
He continued that this service provides a simple and efficient way of controlling what the customers used and when the customers gave a deposit in return, it advanced.
He said the advantage of this service is more value for money with abundant data and SMS control of the customers’ spending with the flexibility of recharge when the monthly limit is exhausted and is convenient.
Abibatu Baxter of the Orange Money Department said Orange money is the key drive of financial inclusion in the country as Orange Money offers money transfers, cash outs, salary payments, top ups, Orange Money Lajor, Orange Money Overseas, etc.
She said Orange Money was successfully launched microloan services (Orange Money Lajor) and international remittance services (Orange Overseas Money).
She said the company also launched the Orange Money Shorki Love Promotion which is the biggest ever customer promotion launched by an MTO partnering with banks to introduce Bank to Wallet and Wallet to Bank services.
Abibatu said they also engaged in massive customer education on fraud.
She continued that the mobile financial service provider has made it possible for several customers to have access to banking facilities with over one million accounts.
Abibatu also said that Orange Money has provided a digital loan services scheme and created direct employment for more than eight partners.
She ended that measures taken to combat fraud using Orange Money were accomplished through massive public sensitisation through SMS text messages, fraud awareness, jingle via local radio stations and also strengthening internet control.
Another presenter, Sarieu Zubairm, also made remarkable presentations on behalf of the Strategic Planning Department of Orange Sierra Leone.