President Mahama bans DSTV at Jubilee House to cut government spending

President John Mahama has banned the use of DSTV and other satellite TV services at the Jubilee House, with plans to extend the policy to all government agencies. The decision is part of a broader effort to cut down on non-essential spending and promote modesty in leadership.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Evans Mensah on JoyNews, Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, revealed that no office at the presidency is currently allowed to subscribe to pay-TV services.

“I can reveal to you that if you come to this house, there’s no office in this house that is allowed to subscribe to DSTV or any satellite television,” he said. “You would say that that is a trivial matter, but he has done that. Because when you computed the cost, it was significant money.”

Mr. Ofosu Kwakye explained that although the measure may seem small, the total cost of satellite TV subscriptions was found to be quite high. As a result, the president took this step to avoid wasting public funds.

He added that the new policy is already being enforced at the presidency and will soon be applied across all government offices. “You can turn on the television that you see here, you will find that I’m only limited to local television stations. It is something that will be extended to all government agencies to ensure that we don’t waste the taxpayers’ money,” he said.

The minister also mentioned that more cost-saving measures will be announced soon. These steps are part of the government’s plan to make governance more efficient and transparent.

“This is a man deeply committed to making savings for the Ghanaian people. Governance necessarily involves taking tough decisions… but the citizenry must see corresponding levels of modesty on the part of government officials—and that’s what President Mahama is committed to doing,” he added.

This policy signals a strong message from the presidency about responsible leadership and the need for public officials to lead by example, especially during tough economic times.