The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) has said it was not involved in the passage of a bill aimed at re-introducing the payment of TV license fees.
“In December 2014, Parliament passed the law for a review of the fees, so it’s not a new law that has come into force, it’s just a review of the fees. We were not involved in the processes leading to that review, its purely a state broadcaster issue that was discussed between GBC and Parliament…GIBA has not and GIBA does not pass laws,” President of GIBA, Akwasi Agyemang stated on Eyewitness News.
[contextly_sidebar id=”BS8HRX17Sj5FHUhidA8hcifN63FdJxrH”]This follows the announcement by the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere stating the re-introduction of Television License Fees starting in August this year.
The NMC Chairman added that “Parliament has reviewed the TV license fees upwards.”
According to Kabral Amihere, of the total funds to be generated, GBC would have a share of 72, GIBA, 15%; the NMC and the Media Development Fund would take four per cent each, the Film Fund would have two per cent and the management of the fees, GBC, would take three per cent.
Meanwhile, the President of GIBA, Akwasi Agyemang has defended the NMC’s decision but said “the proposal of giving us some percentage is not to say that we are private broadcasters and the public is going to fund us.”
“What we are saying is that if we are going to give public service to the nation, and there are fees to be collected, and we as private broadcasters are also competing with GBC, then if we are going to be given some percentage of it, I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Akwasi Agyeman added.
He also explained that they have not forced the NMC to give them any quota from the TV license fee adding that “at the end of the day, we have not gone hand in hand begging for any fallouts or handouts as it were. We are private business people, if government calls us or the ministry of health or local government calls us and says help us with our sanitation drive, we will charge them.”
The announcement of the TV license fees has been met with fierce opposition from the public and some civil society organizations including the Alliance for Accountable Governance who are calling for its suspension.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana