Ten media bodies on the fringe of closure for delayed dues

Iraqi CMC (Communications and Media Commission) demanded that 10 Iraqi Satellite and Radio channels meet their dues that summed up to ID 350 million each.
The demand coincided with an unprecedented financial crisis pressing against these bodies and this commitment will result in shutting them down.
Representatives of Iraqi local radio stations released a statement that accuses the commission of misguiding Iraqi PM Haydar Alibadi, for collecting the dues of this year. They described the commission as being non-professional and that its legal status is inconvenient and full of gaps.
At the same time, Member of the secretary Board, Dr. Khalil Altayyar, said that those dues are accumulated during the period that they were supposed to pay in return for the spectrum services and they are public assets and are in no specific or personal interest. He also added that collecting these fees are complying with the recommendations of the parliamentarian committees; financial, Economic and services. The mentioned committees directed the commission to carry on collecting these fees that summed up to $ 27 million; an obligation that has to be met by the authorized channels and that there is no justification for extinguishing those dues given that they are public assets.
At the time that Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq stands with the legal right of public funds collection, it holds the commission the responsibility of the accumulating sums for not exercising the annual collection of its dues.
The Association asks CMC to reconsider its decision and continues to collect payments on annual basis or otherwise those channels will be in a certain threat of shutting down.
At the same time the Association asks the parliament and related sides to reduce the fees in compliance with the recent financial status of the warned channels. The association holds the commission responsible for the recent deadlock due to accumulation of fees.