Together Gibraltar understands that the ongoing TV licensing conflict is long standing, nuanced and that is has come to have a political dimension. The party understands that Gibtelecom, a majority publicly owned company that employs many Gibraltarians, finds itself in a difficult position due to the competition presented by other telecommunication providers. However, it is simply not feasible for Gibtelecom to compete without also engaging in questionable business practices. There is no way a Government-owned company can engage in selling unlicensed content, and this anomaly threatens the survival of an important public asset. 

The fact that this activity has been going on for years does not make it less inappropriate - and shows that both the GSD and the GSLP have been unwilling or unable to tackle the many irregularities occurring in plain sight in Gibraltar. The members of our community are not responsible for creating the current mess and are the innocent victims in the conflict, but people must also understand that the status quo damages the interests of the taxpayer and the local workforce.

However at a time when we are facing a global crisis that impedes people from leaving their homes, we believe that it would be cruel and unfair to deprive our citizens, particularly the vulnerable and elderly population who we are asking to please stay at home, of one of their main sources of entertainment at this stage. It is for this reason that TG would urge all the parties involved to postpone the resolution of this conflict until after the pandemic, allowing our vulnerable citizens a bit of respite in these times of loneliness, fear and isolation. When we overcome this situation, it will then be the time to find a solution that protects the taxpayer, safeguards local employment and ensures that Gibraltarians can access all TV content legally and fairly.