Data costs may drop further as government reviews nearly 39% telecom tax - Sam George
Mobile data charges in Ghana may soon see further reductions, following government efforts to review what has been described as a nearly 39 percent tax burden on telecommunications services.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mr. Samuel Nartey George, said discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Finance to rationalise the various taxes contributing to high data prices.
“These taxes make up close to 39 per cent of what consumers pay,” Mr. George 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.”
According to the minister, the taxes include the Value Added Tax (VAT), National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) levy, COVID-19 levy, and the Communications Service Tax (CST), among others.
He stated that if the tax burden is adjusted, telecom operators would be expected to pass the benefits on to customers.
Mr. George also announced that all three major network providers will introduce new data packages from July 1, 2025. AirtelTigo Ghana will increase its GH¢400 data bundle from 190GB to 236GB. Telicell’s GH¢400 bundle will also rise from 90GB to 250GB, both reflecting a 10 per cent increase.
MTN Ghana, which Mr. George described as holding “Significant Market Power” due to its 76 per cent share of mobile users, will implement a 15 per cent increase across its bundles. Its GH¢399 package, previously GH¢350, will now offer 214GB, up from 92.88 GB.
“These increases come at a cost to the providers, and I commend them for making this effort for Ghanaians,” Mr. George said.
He added that the government expects to complete a long-delayed spectrum allocation process by the first week of July 2025. This move, he said, will help address longstanding quality issues in data services.
MTN, AirtelTigo and Telecel have collectively pledged to invest around $150 million in infrastructure upgrades, including spectrum acquisition, transmitters and equipment by the end of the year.
Mr. George noted that Telecel has already secured regulatory approval to access the Next Gen Infraco (NGIC) 2,100MHz spectrum under a newly granted Connecting Entity Licence, which is expected to improve service delivery in the short term.
The ministry is also working with the Ministry of Energy and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to secure a dedicated electricity tariff for the telecom sector, similar to what is applied to mining companies.
Addressing past criticisms, Mr. George said he had previously disagreed with some decisions under the former administration, such as upfront collection of the Communications Service Tax and the delay in releasing spectrum, which he said contributed to high user charges.
“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.”
The National Communications Authority is scheduled to carry out quality-of-service assessments between October and December 2025. Operators that fail to meet the standards will face sanctions.
“After eight years of poor management, we cannot fix everything in four months,” Mr. George said. “But the actions we are taking will lead to real changes in how much Ghanaians pay and the quality of service they receive.”
