SOUTH SUDAN: High Radio Registration Fee concerns Catholic Radio Network
High registration charges may force some community radio stations in South Sudan to shut down, says Director of Anisa Radio in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio Rev. Fr. Elario Bazia Boro.
The National Communication Authority charges exorbitant annual registration fees and this poses a big challenge to all Catholic Radio Network or CRN stations cited in their reports during coordination meeting in Juba last week.
Fr. Bazia mentions that the national Ministry of Information is requesting all CRN members’ stations to register with 5,500 US dollars per year.
The director adds that private radio stations are asked to pay 20,000 US dollars and government radio stations pay 1500 dollars.
Fr Bazia explains that CRN stations are church non-profit radios which act majorly on religious grounds. He assures listeners not to give up due to the circumstance because CRN will continue to discuss with the government to resolve the issues amicably. He was speaking to Anisa Radio on Thursday in Yambio
Meanwhile Caritas South Sudan has made humanitarian appeal for 2018 to support the needy, says Director for the Catholic Organization for Development and Peace in the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio.
Fr John Ngbapia discloses that twenty percent of the one point seven million US dollars is realized, Anisa Radio reports.
He says some dioceses including Torit, Rumbek and Yei have already benefited.
“Other dioceses that have not yet received the emergency tools and seeds including Tombura-Yambio Catholic Diocese will have to follow”, the director explains.
Fr Ngbapia adds that during their three-day meeting in Juba, they realized the need to strengthen various dioceses to mobilize funds for all sisterly Caritas to support many people.
The fund Caritas South Sudan has got now is not enough to cover the needs of every individual diocese in this country, he reveals.
The director describes the meeting as very important because they discussed how to address their challenges together.
The priest was speaking to Anisa Radio on Monday after participating in Caritas South Sudan meeting in Juba last week.
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Source: CRN
