By: Emmanuel Oti Acheampong
The Director General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Professor Amin Alhassan, has in an exclusive interview detailed how the State Broadcaster is funded and how its employees are remunerated.
He explained that GBC by its mandate, has a Public Service obligation to citizens, which curtails the Corporation’s ability to go all commercial as compared to other networks.
Professor Amin Alhassan explained that employees are paid by the government, but currently all other expenses are borne by the GBC.
May 2023 witnessed some agitation by Staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation as a result of the removal of some allowances by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, FWSC.
The National Labour Commission, NLC intervened in the matter and and the issue has been referred to the Courts for further action.
GBC’s Director General said salaries of workers at GBC are paid through the Consolidated Fund. He added that, beyond the payment of workers through the Consolidated Fund the “government does not fund GBC in any way”.
Throwing more light on how the Corporation operates daily, he said funding of all other activities of the Corporation is done through its internally generated revenue which is woefully inadequate.
On the function of running commercial activities, Prof. Amin Alhassan mentioned that, it has not been favorable and conducive for GBC.
“The responsibility of being the State Broadcaster, puts a huge financial cost on the Corporation because it limits the commercial activities the Corporation is deemed to run”, the GBC DG posited.
