GBC workers demand payment of ¢24b subvention

WORKERS of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation yesterday embarked on a demonstration demanding the payment of their subvention.

Union chairman Louis Darko told The Statesman in an interview that subvention amounting to over ¢24 billion has not been paid since September this year putting the national broadcaster's programme into disarray.

Calculating on a figure of ¢800m a month as Government subvention to the organisation, the union chairman said Government will have to cough up ¢24 billion for the running of the corporation.

The demonstrators numbering about two hundred and wearing red bands carried placards some, of which read - "we need our subvention now” and “delaying our monies will stall our progress”

The tough talking union chairman said the company"s bankers, Prudential Bank have refused to grant them loans for the running of the organisation until all outstanding loans have been repaid.

Mr Darko said GBC at the moment is borrowing from Prudential at an interest rate of 21 percent to keep the organisation on air.

The demonstrators converged at Broadcasting House at around 10 am on Thursday where buses conveyed them to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in Accra to petition the Finance Minister, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu. The Minister was however locked up in a meeting and could not meet the demonstrators.

The Officer in Charge of the Ministries Police Station, Superintendent A. Awuni later prevailed on the demonstrators to go back to their offices and put their grievances into writing.

Ghana Broadcasting Corporation was founded to provide radio and television broadcasting services for general reception in the country. The legislation that basically set up GBC as a Corporation is the National Liberation Council Decree 226 (NLCD 266) of 1968.

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has the mandate to inform, educate and entertain as well as engage in commercial broadcasting through the sale of paid adverts and the exploitation of other sources of revenue related to the broadcasting business.

GBC was founded in the era when it was the responsibility of Governments to set up and run media establishments as an essential tool for national development. Over the years, GBC as a public service broadcaster has performed creditably. It has made significant contributions not only to the spread of knowledge but also as an instrument of education and a source of entertainment.