Editorial Comment
“THE potential licence revenue we are supposed to collect is around ZWL$220 million per annum, but the compliance rate is very low at less than 10%, and what it means is that less than 10% of the country’s population is paying licences,” the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) chief executive officer Patrick Mavhura told Parliament last week.
While this is incredible news coming from the national broadcaster, it is not a surprise at all because this is a story we have heard countless time from other key State-owned enterprises such as Zesa and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa). These institutions have hardly collected enough to sustain both their wage bills and operations because people, chiefly politically-connected individuals and companies have not been paying for services provided by these institutions. And we are sure if asked to pay for their radio and television licences, they will fall backwards laughing.
Our government has for a long time allowed corruption and untoward business practices to permeate State-run institutions to a point that it has become a liability to the taxpayer.
It is hoped that the new dispensation will seriously look at these issues because coming down hard on hapless citizens who are currently struggling to put food on their tables will not help. What government needs to do first is to make all those in government, starting with the ministers, play ball. They must all be made to respect the country’s laws and by-laws because without them leading by example, ZBC, Zesa, Zinwa and others will forever sing the blues.
For too long many in government and their relatives, colleagues and others who include war veterans have seen it as their right to be provided services for free. This is what has destroyed these State enterprises. The citizens have simply ended up copying from the examples of their leaders. Besides, we have also had a situation in the past of people being encouraged not to pay for services especially those provided by local authorities.
Such mentality has for decades created a culture of non-payment for anything which is why ZBC and others are in the sorry state they are now.
