The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has issued a strong rebuttal to a recent press release by MultiChoice Ghana, the operators of DStv, insisting that the pay-TV giant has consistently failed to treat Ghanaians with the seriousness and fairness they deserve.
In a public statement released over the weekend, the Minister accused DStv of showing disregard for Ghanaian consumers, especially when compared to how the company responded to regulatory pressure in other countries like Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, when the authorities and the House of Representatives intervened, MultiChoice complied and suspended price increases. Yet here in Ghana, despite the Ghanaian cedi appreciating by nearly 10%, inflation falling, and fuel prices dropping, DStv still went ahead in April this year to impose a 15% price hike on consumers,” he stated.
Sam George also revealed a confidential proposal made by DStv which he rejected outright. According to him, the company suggested that while the current bouquet prices be maintained, the revenue collected should not be transferred to their headquarters.
“I found that offer completely illogical,” he remarked. “The core issue is not about where the money goes. It’s about Ghanaians paying a fair and reasonable price for services. That proposal did nothing to address the real concern of overpricing.”
The Minister emphasized that his stance is not an attack on Ghanaian employees of the company but a broader push to end what he describes as corporate exploitation of the Ghanaian market.
“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 said.
He concluded by reiterating his willingness to engage with DStv, but only on the condition that price reduction is at the center of the conversation.
“I remain open to constructive engagements – but they must be centred on PRICE REDUCTION. Anything else is tangential and of no consequence,” the Minister said.
This development marks a significant turning point in the long-standing conversation about fair pricing in Ghana’s pay-TV market and signals the government’s readiness to take a firm stand in the interest of consumers.
