Television mechanics call for removal of double taxation

Aflao, Feb 24, GNA - The Ghana Electronic Service Technicians Association (GESTA) have called for a review of the Television (TV) license law to abrogate a portion of it that amounts to imposition of double licensing fee on its members.

The association said the present law which requests members, aside of paying license on personal household TV sets, are to pay extra 5,000 cedis annually on TV sets they receive for repairs for which individual owners were supposed to have already paid 3,000 cedis license fee each was unfair.

The Ketu District branch of GESTA at Aflao made the call at the launch of an Advocacy Action on Wednesday as part of GESTA's nationwide sensitisation plan towards the removal of the double taxation. It was also to invite other stakeholders including Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the National Communication Authority (NCA) and Ministry of Information to dialogue on the removal of double TV license as well as develop a mechanism to facilitate the payment of TV license by all users.

The Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSACFund), USAID and DFID are supporting the gesture in the implementation of the action plan. Launching the plan Mr Zimto Odonti of the Kpando branch of GESTA said the presence of the double license fee was anomaly for GESTA members. He said though GESTA members could afford the current license fee of 5,000, which has been the fee for the past decade, the association is more concerned with the issue of being double taxed. Mr Joseph Awantungo, a Management Consultant with the BUSACFund who educated members on their eligibility and the process for accessing the Fund, said the advocacy for the removal of the double TV license fee was not a fight against the lawmakers but a process for mutual action.