General News of Thursday, 18 December 2014

Source: starrfmonline.com

TV License reintroduced in Ghana

Ghanaians will start paying TV licenses as cabinet approves modalities to distribute the funds.

According to the Minister of Communications, Edward Omane Boamah, Cabinet gave the approval six months ago.

“Let me give the assurance that cabinet has already approved, six months ago, the new modalities that we are to adopt in the distribution of whatever is accrued from the TV licensing,” Dr. Boamah told Parliament when the issue came up.

The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in April reintroduced the licenses, compelling TV retailers to pay a sum of Gh¢ 2 on any television set sold with the cost passed on to the consumers.

Dr Boamah said GBC will not be the sole beneficiary of the fund.

“It is not going to be the exclusive preserve of [GBC]. We even went further to indicate that the National Media Commission (NMC) will also benefit, as well as the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA),” the minister told MPs.