Samuel Nartey George, the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations, has inaugurated a 23-member Inter-Agency Data Pricing Committee in Accra.
The committee members were drawn from stakeholders in the digital spaces to develop a roadmap that would lead to a reduction in the cost of data.
The Committee is expected to finalise the roadmap report and submit it to the Minister on March 6, 2025.
The initiative aims to assess prevailing pricing models and propose recommendations for competitive and affordable data services that drive digital inclusion, economic growth, and national development.
The Minister said the establishment of the Committee underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency in data pricing mechanisms and bridging the digital divide.
“The players in the industry are not Chancellors and are businessmen, but like I have always said, my fidelity is first and foremost to the Ghanaian people before any other consideration.
“On the basis of that, we are going to put up this technical committee to have a conversation around the pricing of data.
The focus of the committee is not for you to tell the ministry why data is priced at its current price point,” he said.
He said he was aware that in January 2024, one of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) wrote to the National Communication Authority proposing a 10 per cent drop.
“The ministry at the time declined a response to the regulator, and so literally for one year, that offer of a 10 per cent reduction from that MNO and a corresponding 11 per cent increase in value offerings has been pending,” he said.
Mr George said the government was committed to ensuring value for money, adding that “the best value and offering for the Ghanaian people is our primary goal.”
He said, “Instead of us having one proposal from one MNO on one bundle offering, I want a holistic review of all the bundle offerings across all the networks.”
Mr George said there were many young Ghanaians today who, if given cheaper, affordable data, would help them work and take gig jobs outside the shores of the country, depending on data.
“This is a call to national service, a call to national duty, both for the Committee members and as players in the industry,” he said.
Mr Ken Ashigbey, the Chef Executive, Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, welcomed the initiative and indicated that it was the best way to ensure value for money.
He called for a concerted effort to address the issue of data pricing, stressing the things associated with data cost were multifaceted.
Mr Ashigbey pledged to work towards meeting the terms of reference for the committee, especially the deadline.
Mr Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh, President, National Union of Ghana Students, commended the Minister for bringing the student Union into the committee.
He said most students complained about the cost of data, especially during their online sessions, research, and other things, and he was confident of ensuring fair data pricing for all.
GNA
