However, she is unsure whether other information, such as who has been caught not paying the fee, could be disclosed.
Under current Finnish practice, data on TV licence fee holders can only be released to other officials. Many other registries, such as those of real estate transactions, are however public information.
"The matter is sensitive in that the TV licence fee is paid by each family, and can be in the name of anyone in the family. That in turn may reveal other information, such as who is living with whom," FICORA director Anssi Laakso told YLE Radio News on Tuesday morning. Laakso said his agency would have to study thoroughly the question of whether it could provide information for a public registry. However he said the publication could theoretically be done quite quickly. Ministerial Flap in Sweden The move follows controversy in neighbouring Sweden over government ministers who failed to pay the mandatory fee. In the week since the scandal emerged, more than 1,000 people in Sweden have paid their TV licence fees for the first time. As in all European Union countries, each household that receives TV broadcasts in Finland is required to pay an annual TV fee of just over 200 euros. The funds collected go to the budget of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), which is currently struggling with a large budget deficit. Anyone who fails to pay can be fined 100 euros plus a double television fee retrospectively for up to one year. YLE Radio News, YLE TV News