Ghana: Gov’t moves to cut data costs as telecom taxes face review, new bundles announced
Ghanaian consumers may soon experience lower mobile data costs as the government initiates moves to ease the steep tax load on telecommunications services, which currently accounts for nearly 39% of what users pay.
Ghana’s Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Samuel Nartey George, disclosed at a press briefing on June 10, 2025, that the Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Finance to reassess and potentially reduce the multiple taxes impacting data pricing.
“These taxes make up close to 39 per cent of what consumers pay,” he told journalists. “We are currently engaging the Finance Ministry to look at the components, so that when that is done, customers can see more reductions in their data charges.”
The taxes in question include VAT, the National Health Insurance Levy, the GETFund levy, the COVID-19 levy, and the Communications Service Tax, among others. Sam George explained that easing this burden could pave the way for telecom companies to offer more affordable data packages to consumers.
Alongside the tax review, Mr George announced a major shift in data offerings set to take effect on July 1, 2025. All three major telecom operators, MTN, AirtelTigo, and Telecel will roll out revised data bundles with notable increases in data volume.
AirtelTigo’s GH¢400 package will jump from 190GB to 236GB, while Telecel’s equivalent bundle will increase from 90GB to 250GB. MTN Ghana, which he described as having “Significant Market Power” with a 76% market share, will raise its bundle volume by 15%. Its GH¢399 package, previously GH¢350, will now offer 214GB up significantly from 92.88GB.
“These increases come at a cost to the providers, and I commend them for making this effort for Ghanaians,” the minister said.
In a bid to improve service delivery, the government also plans to finalize a long-pending spectrum allocation by early July. This step, Mr George noted, will help resolve persistent data quality issues.
Further investment is on the horizon, with MTN, AirtelTigo, and Telecel committing to a collective $150 million in network and infrastructure upgrades before the year ends. This includes transmitters, equipment, and the acquisition of new spectrum.
Sam George highlighted that Telecel has already received regulatory approval to utilize the NGIC’s 2,100MHz band through a newly issued Connecting Entity Licence, an arrangement expected to boost short-term service reliability.
In addition, the Ministry of Communications is collaborating with the Ministry of Energy and PURC to establish a dedicated electricity tariff for telecom operators, mirroring the structure already applied to Ghana’s mining sector.
Responding to concerns about past missteps, Mr. George reflected on policies he opposed under the previous government, including upfront tax collection and delayed spectrum releases, issues he believes drove up user costs.
“In a free market, I cannot impose prices, just as the Minister for Trade cannot instruct GUTA members to reduce theirs,” he said. “But we are engaging the industry to find workable solutions.”
To ensure accountability, the National Communications Authority is scheduled to conduct quality-of-service assessments from October through December 2025. Operators failing to meet regulatory benchmarks will be penalized.
“After eight years of poor management, we cannot fix everything in four months,” Sam George concluded. “But the actions we are taking will lead to real changes in how much Ghanaians pay and the quality of service they receive.”
