Government has granted additional 30-day grace period to 18 radio stations that were recently shut down by the National Communications Authority (NCA), for efforts made to address the regulatory breaches that led to their closure last month.
Sixty-four (64) radio stations on June 12, 2025 were granted clemency by President John Mahama after they were shut down by the NCA for various regulatory breaches.
But providing an update to the media on the current state of the radio stations at the Ministry of Information in Accra, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George said only 18 out of the 62 radio stations have commenced discussions and made efforts to fulfil the regulatory requirement as directed by the NCA, after obtaining clemency from the President.
According to him, most of the operators of the 18 radio stations may not be able to complete the processes required before the expiration of the 30 days grace period, hence the need for government to extend the deadline.
“So that it does not appear as though this is a deliberate witch-hunt, we have directed the NCA that for all the 18 who have reached out, they should serve them notice giving them a 30-day extension to complete the requirement that they need,” he stated.
The minister, however, noted that those who would have to operate on test transmission will continue to do that to complete their processes while government takes action against the stations that fail to rectify the required regulatory breaches at the end of the nine days before they resume operations.
“On the expiration of the 9 days, enforcement will be carried out, and I don’t think the President is going to show further leniency. Notice is served again 9 days to the end of the 30 days,” he stated.
He mentioned that radio stations, like any other business operating in Ghana, are required by law to file their taxes, as such it was not prudent for operators of the stations to describe that part of the requirement as cumbersome, particularly when some have operated for more than five years after they were issued with licences.
He also hinted of discussions by the ministry with management of PayPal to extend its services to Ghana, as they continue to work with the Bank of Ghana to discuss compliance requirements are fully met before operations.
“As part of efforts to promote a safe, vibrant, and inclusive digital creative economy, I met with TikTok’s West African Government Relations Team on June 26. Our discussions centred on enforcing age restrictions, protecting minors, and encouraging responsible content creation,” he added.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah