A lawyer and senior policy analyst at the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation, Desmond Isreal, says Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George failed to deliver on his own promises in the recent negotiations with pay-TV operator DStv, a move he believes risks undermining public trust.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Business Edge on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Desmond Isreal noted that the minister had publicly committed to securing lower tariffs for consumers but has instead presented a package upgrade as a victory.
“The minister set himself on this path. So people will get angry if he doesn’t achieve what he set out to achieve,” he said.
“There is no clear tariff correction, as we speak. No clear tariff correction.”
According to him, the public’s expectation was clear: reduced subscription costs. By shifting the goalpost to value additions, he argued, the minister created frustration rather than relief.
“What happened to the price reduction? It gets away from his original mandate, which was to push for an overall price reduction and also to bring a transparent tariff regime,” Desmond Isreal said.
He warned that the mismatch between promises and outcomes could damage the credibility of the ministry’s regulatory agenda.
“For me, it’s neither here nor there. Indeed, if we don’t want to mince words, that would actually be a pathetic propositioning,” he said.
Desmond Isreal suggested that a more open and transparent process such as publishing a tariff formula would have helped the minister manage expectations and maintain public confidence.
“If they had approached this stakeholder meeting from a transparent tariff formula approach, we would be having a much better conversation now,” he said.
For now, he said, the outcome is a temporary promotional offer dressed as a policy win, leaving subscribers unconvinced.
