The Ghanaian government has issued an ultimatum to satellite TV operator DStv, demanding it reduce subscription prices by 30% before Thursday, August 7, or face a suspension of its broadcasting licence.
According to Samuel Nartey George, Ghana’s Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, the National Communications Authority (NCA) has been instructed to take regulatory action should DStv fail to comply.
“I have directed the NCA to act swiftly. If by the 7th of August DStv has not complied, their broadcasting licence will be suspended,” George stated, as reported by Business Insider Africa.
The demand follows DStv’s refusal to implement the proposed 30% price cut.
The company attributed its pricing to the sharp depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi over the past eight years—over 200%—which it says has affected operational costs.
However, George challenged this reasoning, pointing out that Ghana’s currency has recently rebounded significantly.
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In 2025, the cedi has been among the best-performing currencies globally, appreciating by 40% against the US dollar—second only to the Russian ruble, according to Bloomberg data.
He also criticized MultiChoice for pricing inconsistencies across its markets. For instance, DStv’s premium bouquet reportedly costs $83 in Ghana, while the same package is priced at just $29 in Nigeria.
In response, MultiChoice Ghana, a subsidiary of South Africa’s MultiChoice Group, argued that the government’s pricing directive was “not tenable.” The company stated that the economic climate and the need to maintain service quality make a price cut unrealistic.
Managing Director Alex Okyere warned that a forced reduction in prices could result in job losses and compromised service delivery.
He noted that MultiChoice had proposed alternative solutions to the Minister and NCA, including maintaining current prices and halting revenue remittances to its headquarters to ease local strain.
However, George swiftly dismissed those proposals, criticizing them via a post on X (formerly Twitter). He questioned why the company had complied with a Nigerian court ruling on price hikes but was resisting regulatory intervention in Ghana.
Image Credit: CediRates
