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SABC Proposes Household Levy on All Devices
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is considering introducing a household levy on all devices, including radios and mobile phones, as an alternative to the current TV licence system.
Ian Plaatjes, the chief operating officer of SABC, presented the idea of this levy under the SABC Bill recently tabled in Parliament.
SABC has been grappling with financial challenges recently due to difficulties collecting TV licence fees and competition from digital streaming platforms.
The broadcaster aims to secure approval for this household levy as a supplementary revenue model to bolster its funding.
The concept of the household levy was initially raised in 2021 during discussions about broadcasting policy reforms. It would be based on South Africans’ practical access to public broadcast content.
In August, SABC reported that 81.7% of TV licence holders failed to pay their annual fees for the 2021/22 fiscal year. This failure resulted in a mere R815 million contribution toward the total TV licence bill of R4.45 billion.
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The idea of a household levy has encountered resistance from some committee members who argue that South Africans are already struggling with the rising cost of living.
Natasha Mazzone, a member of the DA and the party’s spokesperson on communications and technology, strongly criticised the notion of a compulsory levy, asserting that the cost of living in the country is already a crisis.
IFP member Zandile Majozi suggested that South Africans are not paying their TV licences because they find the SABC’s offerings unappealing.
Majozi argued, ‘The SABC needs to pull up their socks. People prefer to pay for Netflix, Showmax, and DStv every month.’
According to Wayne Duvenage, the chief executive officer of the civil organisation Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), the SABC can implement a household levy in a few ways. Recognising that South Africans already have burdens with numerous taxes and levies is essential.
Duvenage added, ‘We are already an overtaxed nation. People have begun to become fed up.’
Source: SABC wants to charge a household levy on all devices
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Picture: Unsplash / Erik Mclean
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