The Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Major (retired) Albert Don-Chebe has said the suit brought against the media organization by Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby is not an injunction against the collection of TV License fees.
[contextly_sidebar id=”5ZjJf9fIM7a0tu97S9dpSQ9U65AGbws5″]Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby is asking for an order of perpetual injunction, which will restrain the 1st defendant which is GBC, from collecting the TV license fees from August 1, 2015.
He is also asking the court to declare that the sharing formula, which would see 25% of revenue going to organizations like the National Media Commission (NMC) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) is unlawful and violates LI 226, NRCD 89 as well as NLCD 226.
The plaintiff also contends that per Section 10(c) of the NLCD 226, the TV license fees which will be collected by the 1st defendant belong solely to the 1st defendant, therefore, the decision to share it among the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants is unlawful.
He further contends that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants being the NMC, GIBA and the Attorney General (AG) in the case have not been appointed by the Minister of Finance by any Legislative Instrument to be a licensing authority as provided for by the NLCD 89; particularly when the 3rd defendant has an association and/or its individual members are not statutory corporations.
In an interview with Citi News, he pointed out that the writ is not in respect of TV license collection.
“I have read the writ and I can see that the reliefs he is seeking are not in respect of not collecting TV license, he is against the sharing formula. He is making a point that he does not agree with sharing with other organisations like GIBA, NMC and the ministry but he has no objection against the license…”
“We think this does not amount to an injunction,” he added.
The TV license fees will see domestic TV users with one set will pay GH¢36 for a licence annually, instead of the old fee of 30Gp.
Those who use more than two TV sets will be required to pay GH¢60 for a licence every year. Fees have also been reviewed upwards for commercial users such as hotels from GH¢2 to GH¢3 per month per TV set.
Licensed TV dealers such as repairers would pay GH¢5 per month, while retailers and sales outlets would pay GH¢20 per month as TV licence fee.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana