STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA of collecting and accounting for the revenue from TV levy to the IBA, an existing institution, within the media sector as opposed to ZESCO which falls under the energy sector. In effect IBA may be expected to play a multiple role of collecting the revenue as well monitoring how ZNBC utilises the revenue. Thus according to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Ms Mulenga, quarterly reports on funds raised would be communicated to members of the public, introducing an element of accountability to the tax payers.6 The Minister’s view essentially was that the amendments were meant to institute some measures of control on the use of the collected television levy. The public would naturally also expect information on the expenditure of the revenue – a factor that so far ZNBC has not probably satisfied the public in spite of “when you pay it will show” slogan by the ZNBC to appeal for prompt payment of TV levy. There was a need for thorough preparatory work and exhaustive consultations with various key stakeholders before presentation of the IBA (Amendment) Bill of 2017 and ZNBC (Amendment) Bill of 2017 to parliament. For instance, with the change of TV levy collection from ZESCO; which ceased collecting the levy via its electricity bills on 31 December 2017, this meant that ZNBC could not immediately access funds from TV levy. On the other hand, the IBA was least prepared to assume this responsibility because it did not have immediate institutional capacity for instance country-wide presence by way of outlets to receive TV levy payments from the public. In addition, there should have been clear public sensitisation of the new arrangement as to the implications of the new subscriber management service licensing system in a situation where a family has many decoders whose digital television signal carrier is via ZNBC or ZNBC’s associate. Furthermore, private television operators were reluctant to take on the responsibility of collecting TV levy to forward to the IBA.7 Similarly the Zambia Union of Broadcasters and other Information Disseminators (ZUBID) through its general sectary, Mr Andrew Mpandamwike expressed its disquiet over the possibility that the change would deprive ZNBC of direct public funding when he appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Media, Information, Communications and DN Provincial broadcasting stations coming – Minister 9 November 2017 p.2 The Mast Private pay TV operators protest govt’s plan to push collection of ZNBC licence fees on them 27 December 2017 p.3 6 7 9