Revealed: Financial breakdown of service providers for African Games coverage

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has released a detailed breakdown of the six service providers it contracted for the coverage of the recently concluded 13th African Games.

In a letter to the Sports Minister dated February 28, 2024, GBC sought the approval of the Sports Ministry to commit to and sign contracts with these specialised broadcasting service providers.

The service providers listed by GBC include PGS, Quality Media Productions S.L., The Production Room (TPR), Silicon Productions, GBC 24-Hour African Games Channel (Support), and Positive Communication.

GBC disclosed the contract sums 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.

“GBC requires the approval of the Ministry in order to commit. It is the expectation of GBC that the Ministry of Youth and Sports will provide the funds to pay for these invoices,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Sports Ministry in a statement released on Tuesday clarified the payment made to GBC for the Games.

This followed the controversy sparked by comments made by the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session on Monday, August 19, 2024.

At the PAC sitting, the Sports Minister stated that the Ministry had paid GBC in excess of $3 million for its production and broadcasting services for the Games.

This assertion was made in response to a question posed by the MP for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, who raised concerns over unpaid debts to technical staff who worked on the event.

However, the Director-General of GBC, Prof Amin Alhassan publicly refuted the Minister’s claim, stating that GBC only received $105,000, which was intended to support the broadcaster’s decision to dedicate an entire channel to the African Games, suspending normal programming on GTV Sports Plus.

In response to this apparent discrepancy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, provided a comprehensive breakdown of the financial arrangements made with GBC.

According to the Ministry, several proposals were received from various stakeholders concerning the production and broadcasting rights for the 13th African Games. Some of these proposals, the Ministry noted, were in excess of $6 million, which was deemed excessive.

In an effort to build local capacity and leave a lasting legacy after the Games, the Ministry opted to engage GBC as the official broadcaster. The decision was also influenced by the fact that GBC’s financial quotation was the lowest among the proposals received.

“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.”

“Some organisations submitted proposals in excess of $6 million, which the Ministry deemed excessive,” the press release stated.

The Ministry clarified that the total agreed amount for GBC’s services was $3.6 million. Out of this, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two tranches, $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 per the instructions of GBC, in accordance with the contractual agreement.

The Ministry emphasised its commitment to transparency and accountability, noting that all financial transactions were conducted with the highest level of integrity.