It’s time to reassess TV license structure – GIBA

The President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Andrew Anninkora, says the recent audit indictment of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in the handling of TV license fees should prompt a dialogue on the matter.

The Auditor General in a special audit of selected state institutions in 2018, said GBC failed to pay GHc3,637,754.20 into the Consolidated Fund.

The 2018 Audit Report stated that “contrary to regulation 15(1) and (3) of the Financial Administration Regulation 2004, the Corporation did not remit TV License fees collected from 1993 to 2017 totaling GH¢3,637,754.20 into the Consolidated Fund. We recommended to management to pay the GH¢3,637,754.20 into the Consolidated Fund.”

Mr. Anninkora said on Eyewitness News that GIBA has been unsuccessful in previous attempts to have a dialogue on the fees.

“Maybe this is going to open up for us to look at it in its entirety. GIBA, for that matter, has made various overtures to the various ministries; the Ministry of Communication, the Ministry of Information and National Media Commission for us to have a round table discussion to look at the way going forward.”

GIBA is concerned that the current structure for the payment of the license fees “makes it difficult for people to pay.”

“We believe there are ways that we can make it flexible. We believe that there are ways we can make it friendly, there are ways we can extend to people that people will be able to pay.”

“When we are all partakers and we are all looking into it, we will be able to ask questions on what has been collected over the years and how it is being used and where it is being kept and who is responsible for what,” Mr. Anninkora said.