TV licence applies to all TV sets; whether in use or not - NMC

The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, George Sarpong says TV licences will be collected whether or not the sets are being used.

According to him, the issue about a TV set not being functional is immaterial because “the law stipulates that once you own a television set, you must pay a licence.

“The law doesn’t admit any complicated excuse," he said on Adom FM’s morning show ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Tuesday.

Mr Sarpong said the claim that some do not watch GTV and, therefore, should not be compelled to pay TV licence fees is also not founded on any solid grounds.

George Sarpong
He indicated that the fees are not being collected from people who watch the state broadcaster alone but those who watch TV and do so regardless of the channel.

The NMC last month announced the resumption of the collection of TV licence fees to begin this month following a review of the fees by parliament.

In view of this, domestic TV users with one television set are expected to pay Ȼ36 for a licence annually, instead of the old fee of 30Gp.

Those who use more than two TV sets will be required to pay Ȼ60 for a licence every year.

Fees have also been reviewed upwards for commercial users such as hotels from Ȼ2 to Ȼ3 per month per TV set.

Licensed TV dealers such as repairers would pay Ȼ5 per month, while retailers and sales outlets would pay Ȼ20 per month as TV licence fee.

But the announcement of the new fees only earned swift condemnation from a cross-section of the public.

Most people believe that it is unnecessary to pay licence fees to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) when it operates as a private broadcaster and yet makes money from broadcasting TV commercials.

Among the people who are opposed to the collection of the fees is the Ghana Institute for Public Policy Options’ Chief Analyst, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby.

He said the “GBC today does not qualify as a public broadcaster in any shape or form.…It operates as a commercial broadcaster, charging advertising fees in competition with the private broadcasters who do not get license fees”.

He also filed a writ in court challenging the formula that would be used in sharing revenues from the TV license.

He is, amongst others things, seeking to restrain the state broadcaster, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, from collecting the fees starting August 1.

But an Accra Fast Track High Court Monday dismissed the part of the motion seeking to restrain GBC from collecting the fees.

The court, presided over by Justice R.R Batu, however, cautioned GBC to refrain from sharing the fees until the court rules on the substantive case.

General Secretary of the NMC says the fees will help the public broadcaster to wean itself off governmental control and give it a free hand to operate independently.

He encouraged owners of television sets to go to GBC offices across the country and pay their fees to support the work of the broadcaster.

The collection of the licence fees begins Tuesday.
He indicated that other modes of payment will be announced subsequently.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | [email protected]