Telecommunications provider MTN Ghana is set to carry out a critical system upgrade in the early hours of Friday, January 2, 2026, as part of preparations to align its billing systems with the government’s newly approved National Value Added Tax (VAT) reform tariffs.

In a notice to subscribers, the company announced a temporary service interruption scheduled from midnight to 4:00 a.m. The planned downtime is intended to facilitate system adjustments required under the revised VAT regime, which affects pricing across telecommunications services nationwide.

MTN said the maintenance window was deliberately chosen to minimise disruption to business and economic activity during the day.
“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 statement read.

During the four-hour period, platforms used for retail transactions will be unavailable. Subscribers will be unable to purchase airtime or data bundles through all recharge channels, including Mobile Money top-ups via *170#, the myMTN App, electronic voucher distributors and third-party banking applications.

While the advisory did not indicate any disruption to ongoing voice calls or existing data bundles, MTN cautioned that real-time balance updates and automated bundle renewals, including Mashup services, may be temporarily unavailable until the upgrade is completed.

The VAT reform is part of a broader government initiative aimed at improving revenue mobilisation and compliance within the digital and telecommunications sectors. MTN said the system upgrade will ensure that all charges on its network accurately reflect the revised VAT structure from the start of business on January 2.

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 and ensure sufficient balances to cover the maintenance period.

MTN said full service is expected to be restored by 4:00 a.m., allowing customers to transact normally under the new VAT framework.