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Abubakar announced that her ministry is intensifying efforts to enhance the skills of journalists. She mentioned that around 100 journalists will benefit from capacity-building programs starting this June.
“We also realise that there are some capacity challenges within this case,” she said. “Because mostly you have journalists, you have technical people who have gone through training at NAFTI [National Film and Television Institute], GIJ [Ghana Institute of Journalism] and any of the tertiary institutions in the country.”
Since 2022, her ministry has trained 140 journalists at NAFTI. Abubakar explained that in June, the ministry will establish the Open Committee for additional training sessions. “We intend to train them together or split them into two groups for the third and fourth quarters of the year,” she said.
“There is a temptation for people to think that, ‘Oh, it’s not a big deal. It’s being sponsored by the ministry. Maybe they are going to brainwash people. Maybe they need it for a political agenda.’ But it’s nothing of that sort,” Abubakar emphasized.
### Challenges with the Tax Regime
George Andah, the CEO of ABC Ltd, urged the government to help reduce the operational costs that media houses face. He also called on the minister to influence a reduction in the tax burden imposed by the communications service tax (CST).
“We have operational issues. It’s difficult to manage a broadcasting facility. Our operational costs are pretty high. The cost of transmission is pretty high; [also] staffing costs, training of staff,” Andah explained. He highlighted the need for support, noting that the tax regime poses significant challenges for media organizations. “I’m sure that you are aware from your interactions with GIBA [the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association] that there are some challenges with the tax regime,” Andah added.
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