According Minister of Communication, Mr Samuel Nartey George, French Media giant Vivendi’s Canal+ which, currently more than a third of MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay TV operator, DSTV – and has just obtained anti-trust approval for the complete takeover which is expected to be completed by October is willing to talk to the regulator in Ghana to resolve the current impasse between Multichoice Ghana and the Ghana government over subscription rates.

In a radio interview with Joy FM on Tuesday (Aug 12), Mr Sam George, the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, said Canal+’s attitude towards the issues raised about Multichoice Ghana’s subscription rates was more positive.

“They are aware of the situation going on here (in Ghana), and I have made it clear to them. They have reached out to me and I have made it clear to them, if they want to come into Ghana and operate on the license that the company that they are buying has, this is our request…, they’ve made certain indications and I said to them I want it in writing,” Mr George said.

He said Canal+ has gotten the all clear from the commission in South Africa, and “I believe that should kick in from sometime from September and so Canal + are the ones taking over.

“I don’t want to take public policy decisions on the basis of phone calls that have been made to me. ” I’ve asked them to put it in an official letter. Canal + is willing to talk to us, I will not run from the fact that Canal+’s attitude is more positive than that of Multichoice,” Mr Sam George said.

Canal+ is buying out MultiChoice and the processes are expected to be completed by October 2025.

But before that is done, Ghana’s communication regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), has ordered the closure of MultiChoice Ghana, that operates DSTV’s pay-TV in 30 days by September 8, 2025, due to the streamer’s refusal to cut its subscription rate by 30%.

Like other countries in West Africa, Ghana, through the sector minister, Sam George, recently raised issues about the high increase in subscription fees for the DSTV pay-TV services which Multichoice Ghana said was partly caused by rampant inflation rates and weak currency.

Over the past two years, MultiChoice has increased fees for its traditional satellite pay-TV business in several African countries, such as Nigeria and Kenya, as well as Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Namibia, among others.

In Ghana, the pay-TV group increased the subscription fees by 15% in April with little notice, prompting the communications minister, Sam George, to give MultiChoice an ultimatum to lower its rate by 30% by August 7.

MultiChoice didn’t oblige and instead offered to maintain rates at existing levels, which has been rejected by the regulator.

The NCA has consequently told MultiChoice Ghana that it has 30 days to “present its views, or provide remedial action, and submit a written statement of its objections to the suspension of the authorization”.

It is following this that the sector minister, in the radio interview on Tuesday said Canal+, which is taking over from Multichoice in Africa, when the deal goes through by October, has reached out and showed a positive attitude to resolve the impasse.