Communications minister Solly Malatsi has berated authorities departments that haven’t been paying their tv licence charges to the SABC, saying it undermines public broadcasting in South Africa.
“I’ve written to deputy President Paul Mashatile in his capability as chief of presidency enterprise to request pressing intervention in addressing the problem of unpaid TV licence charges by a number of authorities departments,” Malatsi stated in an announcement on Tuesday.
“The SABC depends on the gathering of TV licence charges as one in every of its key income streams to fund its operations. But collectively, nationwide and provincial governments and municipalities owe the SABC greater than R30-million in excellent TV licence charges.”
Within the 2023 monetary yr, the SABC reported that simply 16% of its income got here from TV licences, with promoting making up the majority at 57% of the full. In the identical interval, the SABC invoiced tv homeowners for R4.7-billion in licence charges payable, of which solely 19% complied for an quantity of simply R741-million.
The state of affairs has since worsened, with the SABC reportedly telling parliament earlier this month that non-compliance within the fee of the licence charges has risen to 86% from 84% a yr in the past.
Malatsi stated authorities, as a “chief in our society”, should set a “excessive customary for compliance with authorized and monetary duties”.
“By making certain that each one authorities departments pay their TV licences in full and on time, this can assist assist the general public broadcaster’s monetary well being. The tradition of non-payment for public providers comparable to TV licences is unacceptable,” the minister stated.
Burden
“It’s essential that we take steps to minimize the burden on the nationwide fiscus by making certain that the SABC has the assets it must fulfil its mandate,” he added.
“Whereas a brand new, credible and efficient funding mannequin for the SABC is being prioritised, it stays crucial that each one stakeholders, together with authorities departments, pay for providers they use.
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“It will help within the transition in direction of a extra sustainable monetary mannequin for the SABC, which is vital for the broadcaster to ship on its core mandate of offering unbiased and high quality public broadcasting providers to all South Africans. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
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