Sam Nartey George, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations has asserted that he promised Ghanaians by the end of this year data prices will be reduced.
According to Sam George, people think data costs must be cheaper with just the stroke of a pen.
He further called on Ghanaians to trust the process as he had set up a committee whose mandate in 14 days was to develop a roadmap that would lead to a drop in the prices of data.
Sam George over the weekend was trending on X, with netizens mounting pressure on him to remove the over 39% in tariffs on every data purchase which will in turn reduce data costs.
Speaking at the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day event on May 19, Sam George stated, “I’ve been trending over the weekend on Twitter because people think data costs must be cheaper by just the stroke of my pen.”
“I set up a committee whose mandate in 14 days was to develop a roadmap that will lead to a drop in the prices of data. “
“In 13 days they delivered a road map. We’re dealing with 8 years of distortion of the market. I wish I could fix it arbitrarily, but it takes a carefully calculated effort. “
“My promise was that by the end of this year we will see prices drop and my promise remains. Just trust the process,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sam George in a post on X over the weekend stated, “I am impressed with the enthusiasm in your advocacy but facts remain facts. You have rightly diagnosed the tariffs in the price build-up for data. Maybe it is important to educate you since you may be unfamiliar with the laws of Ghana, that no Minister, except the Minister for Finance through an instrument laid before Parliament can REMOVE any tax or tariff handle as it affects government revenue. So you may tag me a thousand a post but the fact is that until we get the Minister for Finance to approve the removal or reduction of sector-specific tariffs, it is all enthusiasm and not facts.
I am however glad that even though tariff reductions bring the biggest relief, they are not the only options available to me. I am happy with the direction of the conversation with the Finance and Energy Ministers in the medium term. In the short term, the regulator would be implementing policy for immediate effects to be felt.
Hope this helps and clarifies the issues for you”.
In reaction to Sam George’s post on X, he stated, “You’ve contradicted yourself, Hon. Sam George. In opposition, you called out the former Minister for authorizing a regulatory tariff through the NCA — not a statutory tax passed by Parliament. You described it as a deceptive increase and promised action. But now in office, you’re claiming it takes the Finance Minister and Parliament to reverse it?”
