After the government abandoned the collection of the unpopular TV Licence Fee over a myriad of implementation challenges, Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Professor Amin Alhassan, is calling for its re-introduction.
The Director of the state broadcaster, however, wants the tax to be rebranded as Media Tax.
He is convinced the tax is critical for a successful public service broadcast.
“Research has consistently demonstrated that when it comes to reliability or confidence in the media public service broadcasters across the world stand out. A recent study found out that in Germany when public broadcasting is shut down their journalism will go down. What does that tell?
“That every German agreed to pay a certain amount of tax towards keeping public service broadcaster alive, every British agrees, for the Americans, it is part of their federal votes.
“What it tells us is that we have to, in this country, agree that there must be a clear conversation of asking us what type pf public service broadcasting system do you want? Do you want one that is competing for advertising with the private media or you want one that will singularly be focused on delivering on public service?” he quizzed journalists.
He was speaking at a media forum organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in Accra.
The TV Licence Fee was scrapped after years of unsuccessful implementation.
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, announced in February this year the government’s decision to abandon the TV Licence tax.
He said at the time that a proposed Digital Access Fund would replace TV license fee.
The TV License Fees which was established by the Television Licensing Act – 1966 (NLCD 89) was re-introduced in 2015 to ensure TV owners pay fees.
The Akufo-Addo led government in 2018 made the payment mandatory and insisted on prosecuting offenders.
Many Ghanaians kicked against it arguing that the money will be given to the state broadcaster (Ghana Broadcasting Corporation), which provides content they see as less useful.