SAM GEORGE TARGETS DATA COST REDUCTION BY END OF YEAR OF 2025

Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has announced a series of measures aimed at reducing the cost of mobile data in the country before the close of 2025.

To achieve this, the Minister constituted a 23-member Inter-Agency Data Pricing Committee in February 2025. The committee includes representatives from key institutions such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), mobile network operators, student groups, and content creators. Their primary objective was to assess current data pricing frameworks and recommend strategies for making internet access more affordable to all Ghanaians.

The committee completed its work and submitted its comprehensive report ahead of the March 6 deadline. Their recommendations span short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to address the cost of data holistically.

While the Minister acknowledged that he cannot directly control pricing, he emphasized his commitment to using policy tools to promote affordability. This includes engaging with the NCA and telecom providers to introduce targeted data packages for students and digital gig workers — groups that are particularly reliant on affordable data for education and livelihood.

On the infrastructure front, the Minister is in talks with Google to bring the Equiano subsea internet cable to Ghana. This project is expected to enhance internet capacity in the country, leading to potential reductions in data costs.

Additionally, the Ministry is advocating for a special electricity tariff for telecom operators, recognizing that high energy costs are a major driver of data pricing. By lowering these operational costs, service providers may be able to offer more affordable data packages.

Furthermore, Minister George is pushing for reforms in telecom taxation, including the removal of double taxation on services — a step that could ease financial pressures on telecom companies and trickle down to benefit consumers.

Sam George expressed optimism that these collective efforts would significantly reduce data prices by the end of 2025, thereby promoting greater digital inclusion and boosting economic participation across the country.