Ghana’s government has given satellite broadcaster DStv until Thursday to lower subscription prices or risk suspension of its broadcasting licence.
Communications Minister Samuel George said he had instructed the National Communications Authority to begin suspension proceedings against MultiChoice Ghana if it failed to meet regulatory demands for a price cut. He accused the company of unjustified overpricing, noting its 15% subscription increase in April despite the cedi’s appreciation, and rejecting its defence that a 200% currency depreciation over eight years justified current rates.
The dispute follows DStv’s refusal of a government proposal for a 30% price reduction. MultiChoice Ghana, part of South Africa’s MultiChoice Group, said in a Sunday statement the demand was “not tenable” given economic conditions and the need to maintain service quality. Managing Director Alex Okyere warned that enforcing cuts could threaten jobs and reduce customer choice, adding that alternative proposals had been submitted to the minister and the NCA.
George rejected these proposals on X, questioning why the company complied with a court order in Nigeria to halt price increases but refused a similar move in Ghana. He dismissed DStv’s offer to maintain current prices while suspending revenue remittances to its headquarters as illogical.
