Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has drawn a bold line in the sand against broadcasting giant DSTV, giving the company a strict deadline to cut its subscription prices—or face a total shutdown.
Speaking during the Government Accountability Series on Friday, August 1, the Minister issued a clear ultimatum: if DSTV does not revise its pricing by Wednesday, August 7, its licence to operate in Ghana will be suspended.
“I’ve written to the National Communications Authority to begin the suspension process immediately if DSTV fails to comply,” Mr. George stated. “By August 7, they must fall in line.”
The confrontation stems from what the Minister describes as persistent price exploitation by DSTV. The company had defended its high subscription fees in a recent letter, attributing the cost to long-term depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi—claiming over 200% decline in value over the past eight years.
But Mr. George isn’t buying it.
“That excuse won’t fly,” he fired back. “Ghanaians have been short-changed for too long under the pretense of economic instability. Enough is enough.”
With unwavering resolve, the Minister made it clear that his priority is to protect local consumers from what he described as “foreign exploitation in the name of market forces.”
“We will no longer allow multinational service providers to manipulate prices and burden Ghanaian households. This is about fairness, not economics,” he said.
The clock is ticking for DSTV, and Ghana’s media landscape could face a major shakeup if the broadcaster doesn’t adjust its pricing in time.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Gumedzo Isaac Acheampong
