The Minister of Communications, Samuel Nartey George, has inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to address the high cost of mobile data in Ghana.

The 23-member committee would assess and implement measures to make data more affordable for Ghanaians.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Accra on Friday, the Minister charged the committee to work within 14 days and ensure that young people especially students have affordable data to conduct research.

The aim of the committee he said,was to provide a holistic solution that would cut across all mobile networks.

“They must assess the best data offerings across all networks and provide a suitable solution that would benefit young people,” he stated.

The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy, the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), the Chamber of Telecommunications, the National Union of Ghana Students, the Ghana Bloggers Association, the Ghana Payment & Fintech Association, and the Association of Content Creators.

Mr Samuel George would personally chair the working group. The Minister aims to publicize the agreements reached to ensure tangible relief for Ghanaians as part of the President Mahama’s RESET agenda.

The inclusion of representatives from the energy sector is particularly significant, as power costs reportedly account for about 80% of the expenses of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Other factors contributing to high data prices include the fluctuating cedi-dollar exchange rate and limited market competition.

The Minister has suggested two potential approaches: lowering prices or increasing data allowances for the same cost.