The turnaround that new technologies are giving many sectors of the economy is a reality that has raised blister who keep their business in the traditional way. Uber, for example, has generated discomfort and rejection in the taxi companies, while encouraging Airbnb discussions in the hotel sector. The finger also points to audiovisual content provided by streaming, but not as a competition with steamroller force, but also as a reason for the state to start seeing affected their income.
It turns out that the country’s public television and educational and cultural content are financed by contributions to the State by operators of subscription television and telecommunications services. In this regard, the Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) now speaks of an alleged tax finding equivalent of more than $ 171,600 million, suspicion arising from a gap in the figures is the National Television Authority (ANTV) compared to numbers reporting the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC).
The CGR said that in 2014 the measurement reported by the CRC speaks of subscribers 8’060.825 Cable television and satellite, but 4’897.426 ANTV reported. Therefore, the Comptroller reports an alleged underreporting of 3’163.399 subscribers for that year. On the other hand, in the closed television studio, which also includes community television, “it is that, according to DANE projections for the year 2014, this television has a size of 8’757.827 homes with that service. For its part, the ANTV has registered a total of 5’211.911 cable TV subscribers, community and satellite, “said the CGR.
Why? The Comptroller cites an analysis of the CRC whereby the root of the problem could be a contributory asymmetry between operators and telecommunications services. Daniel Medina, ICT former minister, explained that this asymmetry originates in the rules made telecommunications services to make a contribution of 2.2% of revenues, while services like Netflix or so-called OTT pay nothing (because they are considered information services and non-telecommunications). But on the other hand, the state television provides a fixed amount per subscriber, according to some industry members, can mean 10% of income, while others say they can reach 45% or 50%.
So a possible under-reporting could arise with the intention of report fewer subscribers and, therefore, contribute less. The CGR ensures that the gap in the figures is for five years. According to Jaime Andrés Plaza, vice president of UNE regulation, in fact the phenomenon “comes from long ago” and could have different reasons to the asymmetry in contributions. “Not only in Colombia but in Latin America, is said to evade copyright of international programmers and also as a result of regulatory asymmetries” says Plaza.
Lorraine Angarita, president of Red Intercable , an association that brings together nearly 250 subscription television companies and community, not dismissed what he says the Comptroller. “Surely itself is raised in a national reality television and the closed television industry that is not part of the international monopolies or large telecommunications industries internationally in Colombia have to pay an impressive amount of taxes. We pay the power companies, VAT, international programmers, like Fox, and we have to pay in dollars. ” In response, ensures that, by the rise in the exchange rate, “the cable television industry in Colombia is busted.”
Angarita adds that if “the people who are in the sector will report everything that is, the operation is not viable. There are a number of payments to the control entities that can range between 45 and 50% of which receives a cable television company. ” That, says that does not justify the underreporting, which is illegal. Red Intercable and its allies, she said, promote stop piracy and underreporting. “The intention is not to avoid, but we need a hand from the government because the dollar is busting us. It should reconsider the issue of taxes they are paying cable TV “.
In this regard, the proposals are aimed, perhaps, to unify the contributions, according to Medina, or redefine the sector for to new technologies, according Plaza. The ANTV, in fact, is working on a draft policy in this regard and in Congress a bill which, according to industry players, up asymmetries is filed.
Anyway , the Comptroller not fail to point out that although by the ANTV have been audits and inspections that have resulted in sanctions, which are ongoing, “the company has not imposed sanctions for offenses related to the presentation of the self-assessments operators of subscription television. ” He adds that “not an effective management of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications, in its role as a member of the National Board of Television and Communications Regulation Commission, in order to establish the extent of the problem is observed and take steps to fix it. “
It should be recalled that the ANTV had an interim for over a year, until Angela Mora, current director, took office in April 2015. The company said a a statement that the figures reported by the CRC were provided by the consultant Business Bureau, which, he said regulator to ANTV, are therefore not official. However, “the ANTV present its plan for improvement, in order to advance all the necessary steps in order to calculate or weigh the real issue of underreporting.” This will be done within 15 days.
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