[Abolition of the TV License Fee] PM: "The Financial Situation of MBC Does Not Allow It"

On Tuesday, June 2, Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced in the National Assembly that the abolition of the monthly television license fee of Rs 150 has been postponed. According to him, although the government remains committed to eliminating this fee, the current financial situation of the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) does not allow for the loss of this revenue source at this time. The Prime Minister stated that this decision must take into account MBC's financial capacity to continue its public service mission.

The national broadcasting company is currently facing an accumulated deficit of approximately Rs 1.5 billion, debts of Rs 165.5 million, and pension-related commitments estimated at Rs 1.8 billion, as announced by the Prime Minister. The television license fee is collected under the MBC Collection of License Fees Act of 1984 and is generally collected through the electricity bills of subscribers, except for those who do not own a television or benefit from a legal exemption.

According to information provided by the Prime Minister, 28,560 subscribers were exempt from paying this fee at the end of April 2026, including households with annual electricity consumption not exceeding 396 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Navin Ramgoolam also reminded that the government, which came to power in November 2024, inherited a particularly difficult financial situation at MBC, leading to the launch of a transformation and recovery plan by the new management and board of the organization in December 2024.

The Prime Minister stated that this program aims to modernize MBC's operations, improve its financial performance, strengthen its audience, and renew its content offerings. At the same time, when questioned about the liberalization of the audiovisual landscape and the potential introduction of private television channels, Navin Ramgoolam indicated that the matter is still under consideration by the government, while reaffirming that this commitment would be honored, though without specifying a timeline for its implementation.