Lawyer rubbishes plans for smartphone and computer users to pay TV licence

Plans by the Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to incorporate the users of smartphones and computers among those entitled to pay TV license has been dealt a devastating blow.

The Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Dr. Akuffo Annor-Ntow, had anticipated that persons who access TV content via their mobile phones and computers be made to also pay just like those with TV sets.

On Accra-based Citi FM, Dr. Akuffo Annor-Ntow said: ''ultimately, the laws will extend to those who consume that content on mobile applications.”

The issue of whether or not to enforce the payment of TV license following the establishments of special courts in the country has generated heated public debate with sections already threatening not to pay because they are not getting value from the state broadcaster, GBC.

Its Director General who is resolute in the new system through which he expects to generate more revenue, wants those paying extended to mobile phone users and computers

“The fact that you are consuming it on a mobile application doesn’t mean the content is not being paid for or it’s not being generated by somebody. Once it is being generated, it has to be paid for.”For now, the GBC is “focusing on those who own television sets and use television sets [for the license collection],” Dr. Annor-Ntow noted.

But private legal practitioner, Yaw Oppong, has insisted that Ghana’s TV license law which is over 50 years old does not cover smartphones as suggested by him.

Lawyer Oppong also said per his understanding of the law, it does not also border on content but owning a Television set.