ISLAMABAD – In order to cover the Rs4 billion annual deficit of Radio Pakistan, the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) proposed electronic cess on buying of mobile phones worth over Rs35,000 and levying of Rs4,000 on registration of a vehicle.
The proposal to levy Rs4,000 on registration of a vehicle was under consideration of the federal government, PBC Director General Imran Gardezi told the Public Accounts Committee. He said the proposal was part of a business plan chalked out by Radio Pakistan in 2012-13 on the advice of the PAC.
He said that Radio Pakistan would submit a comprehensive business strategy to the committee in a couple of months. As per an audit report, the income of Radio Pakistan generated by advertisements has decreased from Rs163 million in 2007-08 to Rs132m in 2008-09, forcing the government to increase its subsidy from Rs1.5 billion to Rs1.7bn.
The PBC chief said that although Radio Pakistan had generated Rs334m in 2013-14, its expenses had also been continuously increasing with the result that government had to provide it with Rs3.7bn in subsidy that year. He said the PBC paid Rs1bn annually as pension to its retired employees.
