RATTAWU Urges FG To Stop Radio, Television Levies

The Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers Union (RATTAWU) on Sunday in Abuja, told the Federal Government to bar local governments councils from collecting radio and television licence levies.

The RATTAWU President, Mr Oluyemisi Bamgbose, told our correspondent in an interview that local government councils were not relevant on issues bordering on collection of levies on the services provided   by RATTAWU.

“PHCN is collecting tariff on electricity on monthly basis, Water Board also collects water rate but it is not the same with radio and television stations that give their services free of charge”, he said.

Bamgbose said that in countries like Austria, Portugal, U.S., Ghana among others, “their broadcasting organizations collect these levies.

“What RATTAWU is now pleading for is that organizations like Voice of Nigeria (VON) and a coalition of other stakeholders, instead of the local government councils should be collecting the levies.

According to him what we are saying is that let the radio and television stations in the country be collecting the radio and television license levies instead of the local government councils.

“This is a proposal that we  have written and discussed with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and this is a constitutional matter”.

He decried the provision of the constitution which empowers local governments council to be collecting the licence levies.

“We have started the agitation to draw the attention of the National Assembly to it”, Bamgbose said.

He added that the move was aimed at giving the broadcast industry the power to collect the levies instead of the local government councils