Desmond Israel, a partner at AGNOS Legal and senior policy analyst at the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation, has criticised the Communications Minister’s approach in the ongoing standoff with MultiChoice Ghana.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (9 September), Israel said while the minister is within his mandate to set broad policy directions, he has overstepped by acting as though he were the regulator.
“The minister’s role is policy. The day-to-day regulation is the job of the National Communications Authority (NCA). By directly engaging MultiChoice and issuing directives, the minister has weakened the credibility of the regulator,” he explained.
According to him, regulatory bodies exist to provide technical accuracy and insulate decisions from political influence. “When the market sees the minister stepping in directly, it raises doubts about whether the regulator has any real power. That undermines trust,” he cautioned.
Mr. Israel argued that the NCA should have taken the lead from the beginning of the price dispute, investigating MultiChoice’s pricing formula and ensuring consumer protection through tariff reviews. “If there’s an issue with disparities in subscription rates between Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, it is the NCA that should conduct an independent audit and hold public hearings. That’s the due process,” he said.
He warned that bypassing regulatory processes could expose Ghana to trade frictions with South Africa, where MultiChoice’s parent company is based. “We have a healthy trade relationship. It is not in our interest to escalate tensions through ministerial fiat. The better path is a middle-ground solution like a tariff review,” he noted.
Israel concluded that empowering regulators, rather than sidelining them, would strengthen governance and deliver sustainable outcomes for consumers.
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