Madam Speaker, in December 1984, the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (Collection of Licence Fees Act) was enacted to provide for the licensing of television sets and the payment of licence fees. Under this Act, every person who is liable to pay an electricity bill for domestic consumption must, at the same time, pay the Television Licence Fee unless he does not possess a TV set. Furthermore, under the First Schedule of the MBC (Collection of Licence Fees) Act, domestic consumers with an electricity consumption of not more than 396 kilowatt hours in a year are exempted from payment of the monthly TV licence fee. I am informed that as at the end of April 2026, some 28,560 domestic customers are exempted from paying the MBC TV licence fee. Madam Speaker, the abolition of the monthly television licence fee remains under consideration by Government, and any such decision must naturally take into account the financial sustainability of the MBC and the need to ensure uninterrupted delivery of its public broadcasting mandate. However, the current precarious financial situation of the MBC is such that the abolition of the monthly television license fee is being deferred for the time being. It is important, Madam Speaker, for me to point out that when this Government assumed office in November 2024, we took cognizance then of the serious financial situation of the MBC, like everywhere else, which included an accumulated deficit of around Rs1.5 billion, a total debt of Rs165,500,000, as well as pension obligations estimated at Rs1.8 billion. In December 2024, the new management of the Corporation, together with the MBC Board, embarked on a major transformation plan aimed at strengthening the Corporation's operation, financial and public service performance. The plan focuses on – (i) To improve the relevance and quality of content; (ii) To try to increase revenue generation projects; (iii) Improve viewership and audience reach; (iv) Enhance the corporate image of the MBC; (v) To strengthen employee engagement, and (vi) A people, technology and processes audit with a view to enhancing internal resources, skills and operational capabilities. As part of this transformation roadmap, the MBC has undertaken a revamping exercise based, on, inter alia, the rebranding of radio channels, the conceptualisation of new TV programs aimed at better meeting the expectation of the Mauritian population and technological modernisation. Madam Speaker, these transformation initiatives require continuous funding and a stable financial framework. It also needs to be accompanied by an appropriate and sustainable funding mechanism in order to safeguard the Corporation's operations, its modernisation programme and its essential public service role.

Yes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Je remercie l'honorable Premier ministre pour sa réponse. Y a-t-il un comité ministériel ou autre qui travaille sur ce dossier? Y a-t-il aussi une étude au niveau de la MBC pour trouver des sources de revenus alternatives au lieu d'appliquer cette taxe de R 150 sur la population? Merci.

Ça fait deux questions!

Yes, they are actually doing this.

Deux questions que vous avez là.

They are actually doing this. They are looking to increasing the source of revenue, mainly through advertising. But they are looking at this, Madam Speaker. It had gone down. It is going up again.

One last, please.

Okay. Mais une seule, pas deux à la fois.

One last, I mean. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Puis-je demander à l'honorable Premier ministre si le dossier de libéralisation des ondes et l’arrivée de la télévision privée progressent ?

They are looking into the matter. This is a commitment we have taken during the election campaign and we intend to, actually, oblige on this. It will happen. They are looking at it at the moment.

Okay. Yes!

Madam Speaker, can I know from the hon. Prime Minister the total revenue the TV Licence Fee generates yearly?

I do not have the figures of the total revenue with me, but all I know is that it is not enough at the moment to be able to contemplate the abolition of the TV licence.

Okay. Yes, hon. A. Duval! INDEPENDENT BROADCASTING AUTHORITY – BOARD COMPOSITION & DIRECTOR’S APPOINTMENT