Ghana’s broadcasting regulator has taken a bold step against MultiChoice Ghana, issuing a formal notice of intent to suspend the company’s Direct-to-Home Pay TV authorisation. The move comes amid intensifying scrutiny of the company’s pricing practices, which the National Communications Authority (NCA) says undermine the public interest.
In a statement released Wednesday, August 7, 2025, the NCA cited Section 13 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), granting the authority the power to intervene when a licensee’s actions are deemed harmful to consumers. MultiChoice now has a 30-day window to formally respond, submit objections, or outline corrective measures to avoid suspension.
This development follows a sharp confrontation between MultiChoice Ghana, operators of the DStv platform, and the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George. At the center of the dispute is the company’s recent 15 percent hike in subscription fees, a move the minister has condemned as tone-deaf in light of Ghana’s current economic reality.
Taking to Facebook, Mr George lashed out at the company’s posture, accusing it of indifference toward the financial stress endured by its Ghanaian customers. He contrasted MultiChoice’s stance in Ghana with its more responsive approach in Nigeria, where authorities compelled the company to roll back price increases.
“I have read the release by DStv Ghana and taken full consideration that they vindicate my earlier position that they simply do not take the Ghanaian people serious enough,” the minister stated. “The same Group operating in Nigeria reversed price increases in Nigeria when the Nigerian authorities sued them. The Nigerian House of Representatives took the matter up and ordered a suspension of the increases. They complied.”
Mr George questioned the rationale behind the April fee adjustments, especially as key economic indicators, such as the appreciation of the cedi by 10 percent, falling inflation, and reduced fuel costs, paint a more favorable financial climate. He also revealed that MultiChoice suggested retaining existing fees if the government allowed it to halt revenue repatriation, a proposal the minister flatly rejected.
“They proposed that I allow them maintain the collection of the exorbitant bouquet prices as they stand but order them not to send the revenue to their headquarters. In all honesty, that offer lacks any logic in my estimation,” Mr George said. “The essence of my action is to see Ghanaians pay a fair price for the services offered. How does this proposal solve the real issue?”
Framing his intervention as a principled stand for economic fairness, the minister dismissed claims that he was pandering to populism. He insisted that corporate accountability must take precedence over unchecked profiteering.
“For far too long, corporations have fleeced the Ghanaian people. There has been a RESET and it demands a new style of public service that is fiercely protective of the Ghanaian people,” he wrote.
Acknowledging that regulatory sanctions could impact Ghanaian employees at MultiChoice, the minister urged local staff to consider the bigger picture and support reforms that serve the broader national interest.
“I remain open to ‘constructive engagements’ that are centred on PRICE REDUCTION. Anything else is tangential and of no consequence. For God and Country,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, MultiChoice has stood its ground. In a statement signed by Managing Director Alex Okyere, the company insisted that the requested 30 percent price cut is unsustainable. It warned that any forced reduction could compromise service delivery and result in job losses.
The company did acknowledge the stronger cedi but argued that macroeconomic improvements alone do not justify sweeping changes in its pricing structure. MultiChoice reaffirmed its commitment to regulatory cooperation and invited further discussions.
