Radio Bangu's office in Bandundu City was closed following its failure to pay a US$5,571 licence tax.
(AMARC/IFEX) – May 15th, 2012, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – Radio Bangu’s office, located in Bandundu City, is closed since May 10th, 2012, following a permission prescription of closure n° 249/TGI/BDD/2011, depriving the population of information at this crucial time, when the Bandundu provincial government as well as the central government is taking office.
The objective is simple: to [force] Radio Bangu’s leaders, which has only one year of existence, to pay the prodigious amount of 5571 USD as a tax for the operating licence of a radio station, an amount that the Federation of Local Radios of Congo is negotiating right now in order to lower it.
The radio station’s managers were waiting for a follow-up to the letter attesting the end of their probation period and directed to the provincial minister of supervision for the official launch and the progressive ordering with the state. With the political jerks (at the level of the governorate of the province of Bandundu), it was impossible to organize this important manifestation, and they were awaiting the newly appointed team of the provincial government to know what would happened to the radio station.
With the acquisition of new materials from Informorac Bandundu, the arrival of the relay kit from Radio Okapi, the broadcasting of some programs from Radio France Internationale and the (inconclusive) attempts to local television, they fear robbery or arson, taking into account that their guard will not be able to pass at night into the buildings.
The founding director of the radio station is well aware of the payment (even with a schedule of repayments) of this amount, but nonetheless asks the relevant provincial institutions, notably the CSAC, the department responsible for the media, civil society, etc. to help Radio Bangu to go on air again as soon as possible.
Let’s recall that the other radio stations from Bandundu City are also threatened to close anytime soon, since they are not able to pay their taxes due to a lack of revenues caused by the weak buying power in this city.
