Communications minister Solly Malatsi has berated government departments that haven’t been paying their television licence fees to the SABC, saying it undermines public broadcasting in South Africa.
“I have written to deputy President Paul Mashatile in his capacity as leader of government business to request urgent intervention in addressing the issue of unpaid TV licence fees by several government departments,” Malatsi said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The SABC relies on the collection of TV licence fees as one of its key revenue streams to fund its operations. Yet collectively, national and provincial governments and municipalities owe the SABC more than R30-million in outstanding TV licence fees.”
In the 2023 financial year, the SABC reported that just 16% of its revenue came from TV licences, with advertising making up the bulk at 57% of the total. In the same period, the SABC invoiced television owners for R4.7-billion in licence fees payable, of which only 19% complied for an amount of just R741-million.
The situation has since worsened, with the SABC reportedly telling parliament earlier this month that non-compliance in the payment of the licence fees has risen to 86% from 84% a year ago.
Malatsi said government, as a “leader in our society”, must set a “high standard for compliance with legal and financial responsibilities”.
“By ensuring that all government departments pay their TV licences in full and on time, this will help support the public broadcaster’s financial health. The culture of non-payment for public services such as TV licences is unacceptable,” the minister said.
Burden
“It is crucial that we take steps to lessen the burden on the national fiscus by ensuring that the SABC has the resources it needs to fulfil its mandate,” he added.
“While a new, credible and effective funding model for the SABC is being prioritised, it remains imperative that all stakeholders, including government departments, pay for services they use.
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“This will assist in the transition towards a more sustainable financial model for the SABC, which is critical for the broadcaster to deliver on its core mandate of providing independent and quality public broadcasting services to all South Africans. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
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