The Minister of Communication Hon Ursula Owusu Ekuful has defended the NCA directive to 131 FM stations in the country to settle all outstanding debts to the authority or face sanctions for their failure to do so.
According to the Minister, the Ministry is mandated to enforce rules and regulations regarding communication businesses in the country and will enforce such rules and regulations without fear, favour, malice or ill motives.
The Minister made the comments in an interview with journalists today at Parliament House on the directive by the NCA to some media houses across the country
She said laws made in the country must be enforced for development .
NCA sactioned some radio stations following the completion of a nationwide fm spectrum audit conducted this year to determine compliance of authorization holders with their authorization conditions and to determine which fm station was in operation or otherwise.
In view of these owners of the stations were supposed to pay for their expired licenses as well as other offenses which amounted to 1.8 billion Ghana cedis.
The Minority in parliament has since waded into the issue stressing that, the action of the NCA can lead to 5,000 unemployement in the job market.
“The NCA does not also appear to have considered the deleterious impact this will have on jobs in the sector. We estimate that close to 5,000 people working in the affected stations will be rendered jobless should the current action persist,” a statement by the minority, signed by the ranking member on the communications committee, Hon. A.B.A Fuseini stated.
Hon Ursula Owusu Ekuful described recent criticisms by the Minority in Parliament on the directive by the NCA as unfortunate .
She said the minority must rather help ensure that laws are enforced in the country without discrimination.
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