The chairman of the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) Board, Johnety Jerethy and the General Manager of VBTC, Fred Vurobaravu have been called on to voluntarily resign from their positions in the statutory body.
The call came from the Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, who is the Minister for Media, and conveyed to the recipients by the government’s Public relations Officer, Hilaire Bule last Friday.
Mr Bule confirmed he had approached the VBTC bosses and verbally relayed Prime Minister Salwai’s message that they do the honorable thing to resign.
According to Mr Bule, the call stemmed from decisions made at the Council of Ministers (CoM) level over the performance of VBTC, the general manager and the board. It was a CoM decision made at the CoM’s 15th Ordinary Sitting and is recorded as CoM decision No. 21 of 2016
Mr Bule said the notion from the CoM discussion was to launch an investigation on debts owed to VBTC and to determine whether or not Mr Vurobaravu also owed VBTC.
The CoM also issued directives for a full investigation into the VBTC operations, its revenue collections and its standing liabilities.
It also called for full investigation into an accident involving a VBTC vehicle by the general manager.
The Council of Ministers meeting last week, also refused a proposal by the VBTC board to commence its new initiative to collect taxes from all imported radio apparatus, in line with its regulatory provisions. If approved, it will mean all vehicles and mobile phones or any other devices imported into Vanuatu with radio apparatus will pay a minimal tax to VBTC.
In addition, the CoM has directed the prime minister to amend the VBTC Act by removing the regulatory provisions from the Act and allocating it elsewhere, preferably to the Office of the Government’s Chief Information Officer (OGCIO).
VBTC has face numerous challenges and constrains on its finances thus resulting in few power cuts, deteriorating materials and equipment that could not be replaced and controversial disciplinary measures against staff.
VBTC, as a government institution, is the most advantage media organization to have benefited from annual government subsidy and numerous aid assistance, including the AusAID funded Voice Blong Yumi Program. The corporate plan initiated through the project was not complied with.
Recently, a VT5 million was allegedly hi-jacked by a contracted member and is still to be recovered.
VBTC General Manager, Fred Vurobaravu had earlier told the media they are waiting for the money to be paid back adding that any decision to prosecute the culprit would only result in VBTC totally losing the VT5 m. The money belonged to a Chinese company and was intended for the payment of rights, through the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA), to operate in Vanuatu alongside VBTC to erect transmitters for free-to-air TV. That also affected promises made last year on the realization of the TV project.
In June last year, Mr Vurobaravu said Television Blong Vanuatu (TBV), a component of VBTC, would be televised throughout Vanuatu by June this year 2016. That did not happen yet.
Three weeks ago, the VBTC management and board came under fire from government and social media commentators over pornographic materials aired to soccer fans who were waiting for a Euro-16 football match.
Assurances for VBTC to cover live the Euro-16 matches for the fanatic soccer fans also failed.
It is envisaged that the current impasse could further delay a proposal sent to the government for redundancy package for staff, under VBTC’s restructuring program.
The board led by Mr Jerety and the previous one initiated plans to build on the revenue base of the company through positive collection of debts, hiring of TBV towers to air other TV channels, collecting tax from all imported radio apparatus, reinforcing payments for the use of TV antennas etc and striking a deal for 50 percent of VBTC operations to be powered by solar. Mr Jerethy has told the media, things cannot happen overnight but will eventually happen.