The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has directed the National Communications Authority (NCA) to suspend the broadcasting licence of MultiChoice-owned DSTV if it fails to reduce subscription prices by August 7, 2025.
According to the Minister, the directive follows MultiChoice’s refusal to adjust prices in line with the recent appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi.
His comments follow a high-level meeting held with DSTV officials on Friday, July 4, 2025, aimed at securing a reduction in subscription costs. The engagement was triggered by mounting public complaints over the affordability and fairness of DSTV’s pricing model.
DSTV, in a nine-page response to the Ministry, argued that the cedi had depreciated by over 200% over the last eight years, and claimed the recent gains in the local currency were unsustainable and thus insufficient grounds for a price reduction.
But Mr George disagreed, reiterating that the government would not tolerate price rigidity at the expense of Ghanaians.
“On the 21st of July this year, I received a nine-page letter from MultiChoice detailing why they were refusing to reduce their pricing.
“Their reasons included that the Cedi had depreciated in the preceding eight years by 240%. And they claimed that my request for a reduction on the basis of the appreciation of the Cedi was unfounded because in their words, the appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi over the last six months has been a fluke which could not be sustainable.
“As minister, my fidelity is to the Ghanaian people. I have had to act in the interest of the Ghanaian people. And I believe that the Ghanaian people have been fleeced and exploited for too long. I wrote back to the NCA on Monday. And directed the NCA in that letter to suspend the broadcasting license of DSTV effective 7th of August 2025 if they fail to effect a reduction in their bundle prices.
“I cannot as minister, serving the Ghanaian people, continue to watch what can best be described as plain stealing happening to the Ghanaian people.”
He made the comments during a ministerial briefing on Friday, August 1, updating the public on key developments in the digital and communication sector for the second quarter of the year.
The standoff comes amid growing public outrage over DSTV’s charges, with many calling for urgent regulatory intervention to ensure affordable access to satellite television services.
