How much does it cost to establish a radio station? A business man worth billions of Ghana cedis, asked to pay such a hefty fine, will rather fold up his business.
No matter which formula or legal regime that was used to arrive at these figures, it simply does not make sense.
Ever since radio gold, started operations, we at The Herald do not think they have made the amount the station is being asked to pay cumulatively.
The action of the National Communication Authourity is a subtle way of using legal means to break the front of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), so that the only story out there for the consumption of Ghanaians is that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Indeed the 2020 campaign has just started, as the government is bent on suing every means possible to make sure every media house, affiliated to the NDC is forced out the landscape.
Kweku Sekyi Addo, who has built his career in the media and having been given the rare opportunity to chair the Board of NCA, must not be the one championing this crusade, which is an upfront on media freedom.
We agree with the NCA that, any radio station that flouts its regulations must be fined, but asking a firm to pay as much as over 61 million Ghana Cedis, is unthinkable, unpardonable and indefensible. The NCA, could just have gone ahead to revoke or withdraw their licences, because at the end of the day, that is the intention.
The NCA, according to what we have seen is going to bag 1.18 billion Ghana cedis, should all defaulters pay. Has the NCA bothered to check the books of these radio stations, to see if they have the financial capacity to pay the fines?
The NDC, should also get its act together. The party is sleeping, if they allow this cruelty to stand, the NPP, would have won the 2020 elections two years ahead.
Source: The Herald
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
It is absurd to ask the NCA to fine defaulters according to their accounts. Until such time that we allow institutions to work and be strengthened rather than look at all things including the weather through a political prism, we shall continue to mark time. The NCA should go ahead and withdraw the licences of those who fail to pay up and prosecute the shareholders to boot. Society is better off when people learn to take responsibility for their actions.
I would like to find out how much was supposed to be paid annually by these media forms? Why have they not been paying this annual fees? Why was the previous administration not collecting these annual fees? I support the Minister in this regard. She is a perfect worker who is wearing her straight jacket of Duty. Ghana is asking all her leaders to wear their straight jacket of duty. God give all wisdom from Heaven to do their work honorably.
pathetic writing. do you know the number of shops/businesses at obossey okai that have been locked up by GRA for non payment of taxes? where was the GJA, GIBA, Herald, et al? Do you know that Agudey was jailed for non payment of employee social security contributions? where was the GJA, GIBA, Herald, et al? what about the majority of radio stations who have paid up? are they s..tu.p..i.d? Pay up or s...hu.t u.p and be closed down. the frequencies will be given to others who will pay their fees.
Larry Dogbe if your think the NCA action has political motives behind it then just refuse to renew your newspaper's license and see what the National Media Commission will do. Ghana is working again. Nation wreckers!
Radio Gold have to pay all their money own the state. this is not polities
what logic is this? Are the Radio Stations owing government? Is the a penalty for owing? Was the penalty applied accordingly? The how much does not matter. Go pay!!!
The refusal of these radio stations to pay the renewal and annual subscription fees is a clear violation of the law and thy must face it. I manage a radio station ans every 5 years we are allow to pay a renewal fee close to GH30,000 and additional GH10,000 yearly. Many radio stations are struggling to survive in the system where the giant stations are broadcasting aver and above the radius they are to cover, and NCA does nothing about it. Am surprised that, Radio Gold had refused to renew their operating license. The law must work and we should not politicize this issue. NCA must also sit up to ensure that, they regulate the operations of the radio stations in regards to the radius by which radio stations must cover.
if you owe and you dont pay for a long time what happens ? it will accumulate if it does whose fault is it GOOD RIDDANCE
The Herald's editorial is very interesting.Reading partisan connotations in this simple exercise.Anyway it is their prerogative.Has the Herald also bothered to find out the amount of revenue Radio Gold raked during the years under reference?What stopped Radio Gold managers to pay to the state for using a national resource to make money.No one can convince me that Radio Gold made losses throughout the seventeen years it flatly refused to pay for the national resource to make money for its owners.Throw back 2009 when the Prof.Mills administration was sworn into office.It was an open secrete that all who wanted government contracts were to place adverts at Radio Gold,pay and be issued with receipts to show proof of having satisfy a partisan requirement to secure government contract.There were other deals the station undertook to rake in millions of revenue.They did not bother to pay because of impunity.Pure and simple.If the stations refuse to pay the frequency should be taken away from them and the owners be blacklisted from ever receiving frequency to operate a radio station until they pay in full these debts they've ***barred word*** and intentionally created
Where were you Larry Dogbe when they were operating without renewing their license and also not paying their annual fees? These fees were set up by the NDC led parliament in 2015. They did that targeting some so-called opposition radio stations. Knowing the traps set for them, the "opposition radio stations" have paid their fees and renewed their annual licences up to date. So, like the law of "Willfully Causing Financial Loss to the State" that was enacted by JJ Rawlings meant for NPP guys, this NCA trap was set up to catch opposition radio stations, and now it has caught your own people and you are now complaining. The law doesn't have any political colour, so ask your prople to deal with it by going to pay their fees and penalties as required by law.