Broadcasting Authority submits five annual reports

Chairman of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Mr Leslie Sobers on Monday submitted five annual reports to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. The reports cover from 2013 to 2017.

The reports were submitted during a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

At the meeting, Mr. Sobers pointed out that the GNBA is now fully audited and is presently awaiting the final audit reports.

He noted that the auditors would have indicated minor discrepancies which were immediately dealt with.

“With the GNBA being more financially stable, the authority is able to deliver better services to their broadcasters as well as being able to conduct internal training of staff,” the Prime Minister’s office said.

Mr. Sobers explained some of the plans and projections the authority has for 2019, which he said are geared “towards the improvement of the broadcasting sector.”

He stressed that in this New Year, there will be a new strategy for the incentivizing of timely payment of fees by broadcasters and in like fashion “we would penalize persons for late payments.”

The Chairman also explained that the GNBA is now a member of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) and is in constant contact with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

He indicated to the Prime Minister that before the first quarter of 2019 ends, the GNBA is making efforts to employ a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Former CEO, Prudence Lewis-Bhola who was appointed CEO of the Agency in 2016, resigned in 2018 to migrate.