Pay up or go to jail – NBC
Namibians who have defaulted on their television licence payments will soon be criminally charged and will have to explain themselves in a court of law.
This was confirmed by police inspector-general Sebastian Ndeitunga, who urged defaulters to pay up as soon as possible.
According to Michaela Jaeger, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation's head of TV licensing, approximately N$40 million in operational expenditure is lost as a result of unpaid licences.
“So far, for the current financial year, the NBC has collected slightly over N$3.3 million in TV licence fees. In the previous financial year, the NBC collected close to N$21 million,” she said.
Section 18 of the Namibian Broadcasting Act provides that the NBC may call on the police to assist with inspections to check whether there is a television set on the premises.
Section 28 of the same Act makes it an offence to be in possession of a television set without a valid television licence. Violators may be prosecuted and if convicted could be fined N$2 000 or sentenced to a maximum prison term of six months.
NBC head of legal services Steven Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze says the broadcaster will only take action when a person has ignored regular statements, including a final reminder.
“The case here will be failure to comply with this Act. This case will have two elements to it, the criminal charge, which is as a result of a person failing to comply with the Act, and secondly a civil claim as a result of outstanding fees,” he said.
The Act prescribes for an annual licence fee of N$204 for household television sets, while pensioners, disabled people and war veterans must pay N$60.
Under this Act, businesses, public and private schools, clinics and hospitals, bars and shebeens must pay N$220 per TV set.
Furniture stores and TV repair companies hiring out TV sets, and accommodation establishments like lodges, hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts must pay N$440.
The licence fee remains payable even if one never watches NBC broadcasts.
This was confirmed by police inspector-general Sebastian Ndeitunga, who urged defaulters to pay up as soon as possible.
According to Michaela Jaeger, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation's head of TV licensing, approximately N$40 million in operational expenditure is lost as a result of unpaid licences.
“So far, for the current financial year, the NBC has collected slightly over N$3.3 million in TV licence fees. In the previous financial year, the NBC collected close to N$21 million,” she said.
Section 18 of the Namibian Broadcasting Act provides that the NBC may call on the police to assist with inspections to check whether there is a television set on the premises.
Section 28 of the same Act makes it an offence to be in possession of a television set without a valid television licence. Violators may be prosecuted and if convicted could be fined N$2 000 or sentenced to a maximum prison term of six months.
NBC head of legal services Steven Yarukeekuro Ndorokaze says the broadcaster will only take action when a person has ignored regular statements, including a final reminder.
“The case here will be failure to comply with this Act. This case will have two elements to it, the criminal charge, which is as a result of a person failing to comply with the Act, and secondly a civil claim as a result of outstanding fees,” he said.
The Act prescribes for an annual licence fee of N$204 for household television sets, while pensioners, disabled people and war veterans must pay N$60.
Under this Act, businesses, public and private schools, clinics and hospitals, bars and shebeens must pay N$220 per TV set.
Furniture stores and TV repair companies hiring out TV sets, and accommodation establishments like lodges, hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts must pay N$440.
The licence fee remains payable even if one never watches NBC broadcasts.
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