Telecommunications giant MTN Ghana is set to carry out a major system upgrade as the country enters the first week of 2026, aligning its digital platforms with the government’s newly approved National Value Added Tax (VAT) reform tariffs.
In a formal notice to subscribers, the company announced a temporary service interruption scheduled for the early hours of Friday, January 2, 2026.
The planned maintenance is necessary to adjust MTN’s billing and transaction systems to reflect the revised VAT regime, which affects pricing across telecommunications services nationwide.
According to MTN, the system-wide upgrade will take place from midnight to 4:00 a.m., a time selected to minimise disruption to business and other daytime economic activities.
“There is a scheduled maintenance planned for January 2, 2026, from 12:00 am to 04:00 am in preparation for the new VAT reform tariffs,” the company said in its advisory.
During the four-hour maintenance window, platforms used for retail transactions will be unavailable.
Subscribers will not be able to purchase airtime or data bundles through any recharge channels, including Mobile Money top-ups via *170#, the myMTN App, Electronic Voucher Distributors, and third-party banking applications.
MTN clarified that ongoing voice calls and existing data bundles are not expected to be affected.
However, customers have been cautioned that real-time balance updates, automated bundle renewals, and Mashup services may be temporarily suspended until the upgrade is completed.
The VAT reform is part of a broader government strategy to enhance revenue mobilisation and improve compliance in the taxation of digital and telecommunications services.
For industry leaders such as MTN, aligning internal systems with the new statutory requirements is essential to prevent pricing inconsistencies and ensure regulatory compliance once the new tax rates take effect.
MTN said the upgrade will ensure that, from the start of business on January 2, all charges on its network accurately reflect the revised VAT structure.
Acknowledging the inconvenience the downtime may cause to night-shift workers, travellers, and early-morning commuters, the company appealed for patience and cooperation.
Subscribers have been advised to purchase airtime and data bundles ahead of the midnight cut-off, confirm that they have sufficient balances to last through the early morning hours, and make advance arrangements for any emergency top-ups.
MTN said all services are expected to be fully restored by 4:00 a.m., after which customers can transact normally under the new VAT framework.
