DSTV Faces Licence Suspension by August 7 Over High Prices – Sam George Warns

The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has directed the National Communications Authority (NCA) to suspend the broadcasting licence of MultiChoice-owned DSTV by August 7, 2025, if the company fails to reduce its subscription prices.

The Minister’s directive follows what he describes as DSTV’s continued refusal to align its pricing with the recent appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi.

Speaking during a ministerial briefing on Friday, August 1, Mr. George disclosed that the Ministry engaged DSTV officials in a high-level meeting on July 4, 2025, to discuss reducing subscription costs amid mounting public dissatisfaction over the service’s affordability.

However, in a nine-page letter submitted to the Ministry on July 21, DSTV defended its pricing, arguing that the cedi had depreciated by over 200% over the past eight years. The company insisted the recent rebound in the cedi was unsustainable and did not warrant a price reduction.

Mr. George firmly rejected this reasoning.

“DSTV claimed that my request for a price reduction was unfounded because, in their words, the appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi over the last six months was a fluke. But I cannot, as minister, continue to watch what can best be described as plain stealing happening to the Ghanaian people,” he stated.

 

He continued, “My fidelity is to the Ghanaian people. They have been fleeced and exploited for far too long. I have therefore directed the NCA to suspend DSTV’s broadcasting licence effective August 7 if they do not reduce their bundle prices.”

The Minister’s firm stance comes amid growing public backlash over what many consider to be unjustifiably high subscription fees by DSTV, despite a strengthening local currency and rising demand for regulatory action.

The decision signals a new level of government intervention in consumer protection within the digital broadcasting space, as the Ministry continues to push for affordable access to digital and satellite television services across Ghana.