The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that MultiChoice Ghana has finally agreed to reduce its DStv subscription fees.
At a press conference in Accra on Friday, September 5, the Minister said the company had written to the Ministry, requesting further discussions on the level of reduction.
“MultiChoice has finally agreed to reduce their prices; now they want us to discuss the level of reduction,” Mr. George confirmed.
He added that the decision came after the company realised the overwhelming support behind the Ministry’s push. “Ghanaians fully backed the Ministry. The NPP endorsed it, the NDC endorsed it, and citizens are saying clearly that they won’t pay these exorbitant fees again,” he stressed.
The announcement comes just 48 hours before the September 6 deadline government had given MultiChoice to comply with a directive to slash prices or risk suspension of its license.
Speaking earlier at the Digital Africa Summit in Accra, the Minister warned that government remained firm on protecting consumers. “As of now, they have until September 6. If there is no resolution, we will shut down the operations of MultiChoice. No company or corporation is more powerful than the collective interest of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
MultiChoice has also been hit with financial penalties for delaying compliance. The Ministry imposed a daily fine of GH¢10,000 for the company’s failure to submit critical pricing data. As of Wednesday, September 3, these penalties had accumulated to about GH¢150,000.
“On August 7, the NCA, acting on my behalf, issued a 30-day notice to suspend MultiChoice Ghana’s licence because they failed to cut their price by 30%. Fifteen days ago, I met with them and imposed the GH¢10,000 daily fine. They now owe us around GH¢150,000, which the NCA will collect,” the Minister explained.
With negotiations now underway, Ghanaians are expected to see subscription price cuts rolled out in the coming weeks.
