Spectrum fees will be paid directly to GNBA from January 2020
– as the authority signs MoU with the Guyana Telecommunications Agency
SPECTRUM fees will be paid directly to the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) from January 2020.
The new payment system will be enforced as a result of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the GNBA and the Guyana Telecommunications Agency.
In the past, broadcasters had to pay spectrum fees to the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) and pay broadcast fees to the GNBA, a process which was burdensome. “We promised to examine that dichotomous situation to simplify the payment of fees. I am pleased to announce that both spectrum fees and broadcast licences fees will be payable to the GNBA and the issuance of a broadcast licence will be proof of payment of spectrum fees as well,” said Chairman of the GNBA, Leslie Sobers during his remarks at GNBA’s fourth engagement with owners of broadcasting agencies at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on Tuesday.
Chairman of the GNBA Board, Leslie Sobers, and Director of the Guyana Telecommunications Agency, Andre Griffith, sign the MoU
Sobers reiterated that several complaints were received from the broadcasters who said the process was burdensome. “We wanted to do things simpler, faster, better with the intention of making life easy for you the stakeholders out there,” said the GNBA chairman.
Director of the Guyana Telecommunications Agency, Andre Griffith also agreed that the signing of the MoU was part of an effort to simplify the services offered by both the GNBA and the telecommunications agency. The MoU, he said, is part of the telecommunications agency’s process of reform. The agency has started a reform programme which is aimed at service simplification. “We want to do things simpler, faster and better with the intention of making life easy for the stakeholders,” said Griffith.
He said through the new agreement, the fees will be paid to the GNBA, but will remain payable to the telecommunications agency. This means that the GNBA will remit the difference to the agency. Griffith believes that the inter agency process between the two entities will be highly impactful and beneficial to stakeholders.
Source: Guyana Chronicle
