Reuters reports that Ghana’s government has resubmitted Vodafone’s US$900 million offer for a 70 percent stake in Ghana Telecom to parliament this week as opposition to the deal continues. Initially announced in early July, the deal must receive parliamentary approval before completion. Reuters notes that members of parliament were called back from summer recess to debate the acquisition after the assembly deferred any decision at its last sitting on July 18. The report claims that the slightly amended document offer includes a clause to reassure Ghanians of Vodafone’s commitment for after-purchase investment of US$500 million over five years, and drops a reference to the agreement being valid for 999 years. An AFP report states that hundreds of activists staged a protest outside parliament yesterday against the sale, whilst opposition lawmakers argue the deal is not in the national interest and shares in the (loss-making) operator are grossly undervalued. Meanwhile, AFP adds that some workers of Ghana Telecom went on a separate march in support of the deal, regarding Vodafone’s coming on board as a way of revitalising the company. Ghana Telecom is the West African country’s fixed-line incumbent and third-largest mobile phone operator.

In separate news, Vodafone today announced expansion plans in the UK. The operator is to create 200 new retail jobs after announcing plans to rollout a further 50 stores in the country. The expansion will take the company’s number of stores to 400 as it looks to drive interest in products such as mobile Internet and email. The expansion comes five months after Vodafone said it planned to recruit 330 more retail staff.