TV license saga: We’re not just interested in prosecutions – GBC

The Director of Legal Services of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) John Kwame Waja says the state-broadcaster is not interested in just the prosecution of television licence defaulters insisting the focus of the corporation is to ensure that there is greater understanding of the need to support GBC discharge its obligations as required.

He added that there is a “need for people to appreciate the issues”.

Mr. Waja stated this on GTV following the setting up of a special court by the Chief Justice for the prosecution of defaulters of television licence. The special courts are to start sitting on Thursday 4th January 2018.

Contrary to the on-going argument that GBC is railroading people to pay an unjustified tax, John Kwame Waja intimated that there is evidence to the fact that the corporation is serving the interests of a broad range of people.

He added that the money accruing after the collection is not readily available to the Corporation unless they go through a process of request lodged with the Minister of Information. There will have to be justification for the request before funds can be released. This debunked rumours that already, the funds were being appropriated in one way or the other.

On the issue of GBC raising funds from advertisements and other commercials, Mr. Waja says the Corporation has not gone all out on that tangent. He explained that because of the mandate to cover events that other private stations are not compelled to, “we are careful so we deprive ourselves of what runs into the kitty”.

GBC officially reintroduced the collection of the TV Licence fees in 2015 after years of suspending the collection.

Domestic TV users are to pay between GH¢36 and GH¢60 for one or more TV sets in a household while TV set repairers and sales outlets are to pay an annual sum of between GHc60 to GHc240.

Commercial TV operators are to pay GHc36 per annum for each TV set.

The Chief Justice recently set up a special TV Licence Court to deal with people who refuse to pay the mandatory TV licence.