The Minister of Communications and Digital Technology Innovations, Sam George, has given MultiChoice Ghana until September 6 to reduce the prices of its DSTV services or risk having its operating licence revoked.
The Minister issued the ultimatum following the Digital Africa Summit held on September 3 at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, where policymakers, tech firms, and IT service providers discussed Africa’s evolving digital landscape.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, Mr. George said the government was committed to securing fair pricing for DSTV subscribers, citing the relative stability of the cedi against the dollar as a basis for price reductions.
“They have up to the 6th of September. If by that time there is no resolution, we will shut down the operations of MultiChoice. No company, no corporate entity is more powerful than the collective interest of the Ghanaian people,” he declared.
According to him, MultiChoice has failed to comply with requests from the National Communications Authority (NCA) to submit critical pricing data as required under the Electronic Communications Act (ECA).
He revealed that the company has already accrued fines of between GH¢150,000 and GH¢170,000 after being penalized GH¢10,000 per day for non-compliance.
The Minister further lamented that long-standing discussions with MultiChoice to cut prices by 30%—as is done in other African countries—had not yielded results.
“I have held a series of discussions with the Management of MultiChoice to get them to cut prices of their bouquet services to reflect the stable nature of the local currency, but to no avail. The Ministry stands in solidarity with the Ghanaian populace on these demands, and we remain steadfast to achieve our stated outcomes,” he added.
The warning forms part of a broader government effort to push MultiChoice to reduce DSTV subscription costs in Ghana to align with prevailing conditions and comparable rates elsewhere on the continent.
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Story by Sika Togoh|univers.ug.edu.gh
