In Ghana, the government has granted an additional 30-day grace period to 18 radio stations that were recently shut down by the industry regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), due to regulatory violations. This extension aims to support the stations in rectifying the issues that led to their closure last month.
On June 12, 2025, President John Mahama had previously extended leniency to 64 radio stations that the NCA had also shut down for various regulatory infractions. However, during an update at the Ministry of Information in Accra, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation Samuel Nartey George noted that only 18 of the 62 stations have initiated discussions and shown efforts to comply with the regulatory requirements outlined by the NCA following the President’s clemency.
The Minister expressed concern that many operators may be unable to meet the requirements before the new 30-day deadline expires. To ensure fairness, he announced that the NCA would provide these 18 stations with a formal notice of the extension. “To avoid the perception of a deliberate attack, we have instructed the NCA to extend the deadline for these stations to complete the requirements,” he stated.
George also highlighted that while some stations continue to operate under test transmissions to complete their processes, serious consequences await those that fail to address their regulatory issues once the nine days leading up to the new deadline pass. “Once the nine days expire, enforcement measures will be enacted. It’s unlikely that the President will exercise further leniency,” he warned.
He emphasised that all radio stations, as businesses in Ghana, are legally obligated to file their taxes and urged operators not to deem these requirements as cumbersome, particularly since many have been operating under their licenses for over five years.
Furthermore, the Minister mentioned ongoing discussions with PayPal regarding the expansion of services to Ghana and reiterated the importance of compliance with the Bank of Ghana. He also shared his recent meeting with TikTok’s West African Government Relations Team on June 26, which focused on implementing age restrictions, safeguarding minors, and promoting responsible content creation as part of efforts to foster a safe and inclusive digital creative economy.
