RADIO AND TELEVISION LICENCES (Non-receipt of renewal forms)

Mr Yeoh Ghim Seng asked the Minister for Finance if he will instruct officers of the Radio and Television Licensing Section to investigate com plaints of the non-receipt of renewal forms by radio and television licence-holders; and if he will instruct those officers not to institute prosecutions in cases where the complaint is well founded and the licence-holder renews his licence at the first opportunity after expiry.

Mr Tang See Chim (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, the non-receipt of renewal forms by radio and television licence-holders has been in vestigated. Over 17,000 licences are renewed each month, and the number of reports of non-receipt of renewal forms is about 200 or 3 per cent.

Generally, the non-receipt of renewal forms is through the failure of the licensees to inform the Department of their change of address. Failure to notify change of address is in itself an offence but so far no one has been prosecuted.

Where a licence-holder gives reasonable grounds for failure to renew his licence, no prosecution is instituted.

A licence may be renewed one month before the valid licence expires.