NCA moves to suspend MultiChoice Ghana licence over subscription pricing dispute

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has notified MultiChoice Ghana Limited of its intention to suspend the company’s Pay TV Direct-to-Home Bouquet authorisation over its subscription pricing model, which the regulator describes as contrary to public interest.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, August 7, 2025, the NCA said the action is being taken under Section 13 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), which empowers it to act in cases where a licensee is deemed to be operating in a manner inimical to the interest of consumers.

MultiChoice Ghana has been given 30 days to respond to the notice, submit a written statement of objections, or provide remedial measures to prevent the suspension of its authorisation.

The regulatory intervention follows a heated standoff between the company, operators of DStv, and the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, over the company’s recent 15 per cent subscription price increase. The minister has accused MultiChoice of showing disregard for the financial burden on Ghanaian consumers.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr George criticised the company for what he described as a “lack of seriousness” in addressing the economic hardship faced by its subscribers in Ghana. He said the company had failed to match the responsiveness it displayed in Nigeria, where price hikes were reversed following legal and parliamentary pressure.

“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 argued that the April price hikes were unjustifiable, particularly in light of positive macroeconomic developments, including a 10 percent appreciation of the cedi, declining inflation, and lower fuel prices. He also revealed that during negotiations, MultiChoice had proposed maintaining current subscription fees in exchange for a suspension of revenue repatriation to its headquarters — a suggestion he 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?”

He reaffirmed his commitment to fairness and consumer protection, noting that the call for a price cut is not a populist stance but a matter of corporate accountability. “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.

The minister acknowledged that any sanctions against MultiChoice could affect local staff, but urged them to support the wider public 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.

MultiChoice, for its part, has maintained that the proposed 30 per cent price cut is “not tenable.” In a statement signed by its Managing Director, Alex Okyere, the company argued that subscription fees are a reflection of operational realities and service quality. It warned that an enforced reduction could threaten jobs and affect the quality of services provided to Ghanaian customers.

While MultiChoice acknowledged the recent strengthening of the cedi, it insisted that broader business conditions did not support a significant cut. The company said it remains committed to regulatory compliance and open to further dialogue.

With the NCA’s suspension notice now in play and the minister’s ultimatum having expired, all eyes are on the next steps in the escalating impasse. Ghanaian subscribers, many of whom have long expressed frustration with the cost of pay-TV services, await a resolution that could reshape the country’s broadcasting landscape.