The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has provided a comprehensive breakdown of six service providers it engaged for the coverage of the recently concluded 13th African Games.
In a letter addressed to the Sports Minister on February 28, 2024, GBC sought approval from the Ministry of Youth and Sports to formalize contracts with these specialized broadcasting service providers.
The listed service providers include PGS, Quality Media Productions S.L., The Production Room (TPR), Silicon Productions, GBC 24-Hour African Games Channel (Support), and Positive Communication.
GBC detailed the contract amounts for each provider as follows: PGS at €2,056,534; Quality Media Productions S.L. at $1,000,000; Silicon Productions at €57,030; GBC 24-Hour African Games Channel (Support) at $105,000; and Positive Communication at $20,000. The corporation emphasized the need for the Ministry’s approval to proceed, expressing the expectation that the Ministry would supply the necessary funds to settle these invoices.
In response to recent discussions, the Sports Ministry issued a statement on Tuesday clarifying the payments made to GBC for the Games’ coverage.
This clarification comes after controversy arose from comments made by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on Monday, August 19, 2024.
During the PAC meeting, Minister Ussif stated that the Ministry had disbursed over $3 million to GBC for production and broadcasting services related to the Games. This statement was in reply to inquiries from the MP for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, who highlighted concerns about unpaid debts to technical staff involved in the event.
Contradicting the Minister’s claim, GBC’s Director-General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, publicly asserted that the broadcaster had only received $105,000. He explained that this amount was intended to support GBC’s commitment to dedicating an entire channel, GTV Sports Plus, exclusively to the African Games, which required suspending its regular programming.
Addressing this discrepancy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, released a detailed account of the financial arrangements with GBC.
The Ministry explained that it had received several proposals from different stakeholders concerning production and broadcasting rights for the 13th African Games. Some of these proposals exceeded $6 million, which the Ministry considered excessive. Opting to enhance local capacity and create a lasting legacy post-Games, the Ministry chose GBC as the official broadcaster, noting that GBC’s financial proposal was the most economical among those submitted.
“The Ministry of Youth and Sports, through the Local Organising Committee, received proposals from various stakeholders for the production and broadcasting rights for the 13th African Games,” the press release stated. “Some organisations submitted proposals in excess of $6 million, which the Ministry deemed excessive.”
According to the Ministry, the total agreed-upon amount for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. Of this sum, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two installments: $1 million on March 13, 2024, and $1.5 million on May 22, 2024. The remaining $1 million was paid directly to third-party service providers as directed by GBC, in line with the contractual agreement.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, stating that all financial transactions were conducted with the utmost integrity.
