Vehicle Owners To Face Compulsory ZBC Licence Payments
Vehicle owners will soon be required to obtain a radio license before they can secure a vehicle licence or insurance coverage.
This follows the approval of the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill by Cabinet Ministers on Tuesday, September 17.
Under these proposals, motorists will need to purchase radio licences before paying their road tax and insuring their vehicles.
The initiative aims to generate approximately US$74 million annually for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
During a post-Cabinet media briefing, Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere announced that the Cabinet has adopted the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, which was presented by Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Legislation. He said:
The major objective of the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill is to align the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06] with the constitution and also with the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.
The enactment of the legislation will amend several sections of the Broadcasting Services Act [Chapter 12:06]. Of special mention is the amendment of section 2A of the principal Act on the role of the Broadcasting Services of Zimbabwe which is to regulate and manage the broadcasting services bands for sustenance rather than control of broadcasting service bands.
The Bill will also provide a new provision, which will prohibit the Zimbabwe National Road Administration and every motor insurance cover to sell a motor vehicle licence and motor insurance policy respectively to individuals without the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation current radio licence or an exemption certificate from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, unless the vehicle to be insured is not equipped with a radio signal receiver.
The Bill, which is likely to pass through both the National Assembly and Senate—where ZANU PF holds a significant majority—also mandates the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to broadcast 75% local content.
Currently, Zimbabwe has 1.2 million registered vehicles, but only 800,000 motorists are paying their licences, according to the Zimbabwe National Roads Agency (ZINARA).
With vehicle radio licences priced at US$23 per quarter and US$92 per year, this could generate a minimum of US$73.6 million in potential annual revenue for the ZBC.
If all registered vehicles paid for the licence, this figure could rise to US$110 million.
More: Pindula News
