Regional News of Saturday, 21 October 2006

Source: yaw Mensah Hanson Of Nkoranza

B/A Citizens Stand Against GBC

Television user fee which was introduced by the government of Ghana some years ago to help better the programs of Ghana Television is hitting the rock in Brong Ahafo Region. The fee which began with Three thousand per set after much hullabaloo may suffer difficulty in payment in the region due to revelation that ,they have been made to pay illegal fee of fifteen thousand contrary to what is being paid in other regions .

Television users in Brong Ahafo had a shocking news when an upward adjust of 500% was announced for the year 2006 and there after bringing the fee to fifteen thousand cedis per television set.

Areas like Nkoranza where television collectors had it tough collecting the new fee saw many people being arrested and prosecuted in courts and later fined.

Contrary to reports from parliament that the old fee has not being increased and that users in other regions are paying the old fee brought the fees collection to a stand still as users have refused to pay the old and the new fee saying it is illegal.

Angry people who have already paid the old fee have threaten to take legal action against the Regional Director of G.B.C in Brong Ahafo.

Some have called for spread over to a period of five years going by the old fee. Others have threaten to storm the premises of the corporation in Sunyani to demand refund .

Sensed by the impending danger Mr.L.V Amengor together with other management members have been making trips to affected areas like Nkoranza to solicit the support of traditional rulers in apologizing to those who were affected by the prosecution and the court fine to drop their legal threat.

Serial callers to FM station in the region have decided not to pay even the old fee of three thousand until they explained to them why Brong Ahafo Region is paying fifteen thousand whiles other regions are paying three thousand cedis.