Seventy-seven radio stations out of the 79 that had been closed down for non-payment of license fees have resumed broadcasting after the government of Guinea-Bissau agreed to allow staggered payment of the debts.
The government has agreed to allow the stations to reopen while they fulfill their obligations according to the agreed plan. The agreement is in line with proposals made to the government by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its partners in Guinea-Bissau. Representatives of the MFWA, the Union of Journalists and Media Technicians (SINJOTECS) and the National Network of Community Radios and Televisions (RENARC), presented the proposal for a negotiated payment plan to the government. The proposal was made on April 13, 2022, when the media advocacy organizations met with the Ministry of Social Communication about the closure of radio stations.
The government closed the 79 radio stations on April 7, 2022, after the 72-hour deadline had expired. Nine of the 88 affected managed to meet the deadline.
The delegation asked the Ministry to review its decision and allow a negotiated payment plan, citing the precarious finances of radio stations in the country.
: The delegation asked the Ministry to review its decision to close the affected radio stations.
The MFWA and its partners commend the Bissau-Guinean authorities for showing good faith and heeding the request to reopen the affected stations. We applaud the Chief Secretary to the Minister of Social Communication, Germánia Fadul, who received our delegation and promised to convey our concerns to the minister for consideration.
However, we remain concerned that two of the stations affected, Rádio Cidade and Rádio Capital FM, remain closed due to a lack of agreement on payment terms. The government insists that the stations must meet all their financial obligations to the regulator, while the heads of the two stations claim they don’t have the full amount.
Radio Capital’s accumulated license fees total two (2) million CFA (about 3,250 USD). The station’s management claims it does not have the means to pay off the debt, citing recent misfortunes. The station was recently broken into and vandalized by a group of men disguised in military uniforms. Since then, they have been unable to replace the equipment that was completely destroyed in the attack. They were also forced to evacuate their office after the attack, the second in two years.
We therefore recommend an ongoing dialog between the parties to reach an amicable agreement that will allow the two stations to resume their role of educating and informing citizens for improved participatory governance.
