Friday, 09 January

Government considers public media levy to replace TV Licence

News
President John Dramani Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that Cabinet is currently deliberating on possible changes to Ghana’s television licence regime, with the aim of submitting proposed revisions to Parliament in due course.

The President made this known during a visit to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on Thursday, January 8, as part of his ongoing interactions with state institutions.

He explained that government is considering reforms that would abolish the existing TV licence system and introduce a public media levy to provide a more sustainable funding model for state-owned broadcasters.

“There have been several proposals concerning the current TV licence arrangement, and our thinking is largely aligned around reviewing the law and transforming it into some form of public media levy,” President Mahama stated.

According to him, the new levy would have a wider base, making it easier to mobilise resources and enhance government support for public media organisations.

President Mahama said that once Cabinet finalises its discussions, the government will engage relevant stakeholders, including GBC, before formally presenting the proposed changes to Parliament.

“When Cabinet completes its work, we will share our ideas with you and other stakeholders before we proceed to Parliament to amend the legislation,” he noted.

The President expressed optimism that the proposed reforms would substantially improve the financial capacity of public broadcasters, enabling them to function more effectively and better deliver on their public service mandate.

 

He added that the proposed adjustments should help increase revenue flows and place public media institutions in a stronger position to carry out their responsibilities.

Source: Classfmonline.com/Zita Okwang