President John Dramani Mahama is Ghana’s Head of State
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Cabinet is actively deliberating reforms to Ghana’s television licensing legislation, including the introduction of a Public Media Levy to replace the TV license.
According to a report by citinewsroom.com, President Mahama, speaking during a visit to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on Thursday, January 8, as part of his ongoing engagements with state institutions, revealed that planned amendments are set to be presented to Parliament in the near future.
“There are a few suggestions we have with regard to the so-called TV license. And I think that our thinking is going in the same direction to amend that law to make it a Public Media Levy of some sort,” he stated.
The president explained that the proposed levy is designed to expand the revenue base for public broadcasting, ensuring more reliable and substantial financial support for state media operations.
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He assured that once Cabinet finalises its review, the government will engage with key stakeholders before submitting the legislative changes to Parliament.
“When we’re ready, we’ll be discussing it at Cabinet, but we’ll discuss with you what our thinking is before we finally go to Parliament and amend the law,” Mahama told GBC management.
He expressed optimism that the reform would significantly enhance funding for public broadcasters, enabling them to operate more effectively and better serve the public.
“I’m sure that with some of the suggestions we’ve got, you’ll be able to raise the amount of funding that it brings in and make it better able to do your work,” the president added.
What is the TV License
The TV licence in Ghana is a legal fee introduced under the Television Licensing Act, 1966 (NLCD 89) that requires individuals and entities that own or use television receiving sets to pay an annual fee to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
It was re-introduced in 2015 after a period of dormancy to provide additional funding for the state broadcaster.
Under this law:
A domestic household typically pays GH¢36 per year (with higher fees if there are multiple sets).
Commercial users, TV dealers and repairers pay different annual fees.
Non-payment of the licence has historically been treated as an offence under the Act.
The primary purpose of the TV licence fee is to support public service broadcasting by generating revenue for the GBC independent of government budgets and commercial advertising.
Over the years, the TV license has faced criticism for being outdated, difficult to enforce, and not aligned with modern technology (given that many people view TV content via devices not strictly covered by the old law).
Critics also argue that the revenue collection mechanism is ineffective and that the funds should be handled through more modern structures.
ID/AE
