For the first time in many uncountable years, the creative industry was duly recognized by the Government of Ghana with the budgetary allocation of GHC2million to the sector, but the anticipated merry-making and the strategy on how best to utilize the money expected from the aficionados of the industry have rather turned into bickering, finger-pointing, accusation and counter-accusation over which group has the right to lay claim to the money.
As it turned out, the Musician Union of Ghana, MUSIGA, was able to attain the total disbursement of the money based on what the Union claims - were a series of proposals they tendered in to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, The Director of Budget and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Amongst the many aggrieved and disgruntled groups is the Ekow Micah-led Music Council of Ghana which has not hidden its displeasure over the allocation of the money to MUSIGA.
In a press statement issued by the group, it said that it refuses to accept any such criteria or justification which warranted the total disbursement of this whole sum to one union of musicians called MUSIGA by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Chieftaincy Ministry.
In one of their many radio appearances, the General Secretary of the Council, Justice Cletus didn’t mince words on Peace FM, when he blurted out that the young men at MUSIGA have managed to outwit and outsmart the entire creative industry by assessing the money for their usage only.
Mr. Carlos Sakyi, Head of the Interim Board of GHAMRO on his part stated that his association does not have any problem with MUSIGA, but with the Ministry of Finance for disbursing the said money to only the Union when it is clearly stated in the budget that the money is for the creative industry. He therefore called on the Ministry to provide clarifications on the basis under which the money was disbursed and which entity has the right to assess the money.
Investigations by Razzmatazz discovered the said letter and the attached documents that MUSIGA presented to the Ministry. The Union was able to arrange a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, on the need for governmental support for the industry on the 19th October 2011 and the next day, 20th October, 2011 – the Union presented a letter and proposal for GHc 5.5million budgetary allocation.
Below are evidence of the proposals from MUSIGA and a portion of the 2012 Budget concerning the Ghc 2million read by Dr. Duffour in November 2011: Hon. Dr. Kwabena Dufour Minister of Finance and Economic Planning MoFEP Accra
Hon. Dr. Dufour,
October 20, 2011 Budget 2012 – Proposal for Music Industry As a follow up to our very encouraging meeting on Wednesday October 19, 2011, we wish to first and foremost express our profound appreciation for the attention you and your staff gave us. This gives us hope and the belief that we will not be left out in the pursuit of the Better Ghana agenda. On your advice, we have managed to put together the attached proposal for your consideration. Given that this is our very first time of doing this, we shall be glad to make any amendments and corrections to ensure our proposal is in conformity with normal budgeting practice. Our total submission for the 2012 Budget Year is GHC5.5 million.
In order to be ready for implementation, we have put together a team of experts (including creative industries consultants and experts in finance, budgeting and auditing) to flesh out the details of the various items in this proposal, to be submitted against disbursement.
We shall also be glad to work with you to choose qualified professional auditors to ensure diligence, accountability and value for money.
While anticipating your most favorable response, please be rest assured that we the players in the music industry are ready and willing to contribute our quota toward all efforts of national development.
Yours sincerely, Bice Obour Osei Kuffour President, MUSIGA
Cc:The Hon. Minister of Trade and Industry, cc.The Director of Budget (MoFEP) Budget 2012 - Creative Industries Input
The Government of Ghana (GoG) is making sure that all important sectors of the economy are fairly supported in pursuit of the Better Ghana Agenda. Having established the importance of Creative Industries in our socio-economic life, we have made sure that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has incorporated Creative Industries in its policy, and treated it like any other small and medium enterprise. We have also ensured that within the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), the Creative Industries is mainstreamed.
In the coming year, a major study to document the potentials of Creative Industries and its contribution as a critical sector of the economy will be completed. This will highlight the various sub-sectors within Creative Industries and spell out what specific actions can be taken to support their development. In this budget, however, we seek to set the ball rolling by providing the following modest support to the music industry:
A. Research and Development (GHC400,000) a. Commissioning of a study on the potentials of the music industry b. Preparation of a Medium-Term Strategic Document to guide the conscious development of the industries c. Training needs assessment and capacity development study.
B. Music Industry Development Centre (GHC3.2 million) a. One stop marketing facility for sale of products within MUSIGA Premises b. Development of music performance facility (with the right acoustics) to seat about 500 within MUSIGA Premises c. An in-house training facility d. A standard world-class recording studio
C. Continuous Professional Development (GHC300,000) a. Development of training modules for each professional grouping (songwriter, script writers, performers, composers, producers, managers, directors, sound engineers, publishers etc) for the industries b. Training of trainers c. Running of training programs
D. Institutional Strengthening of Music Industry Structures (GHC1.0 million) a. Rehabilitation of MUSIGA administrative offices b. Procurement of office machines, equipment, furniture and consumables for head office and all the ten regional offices of MUSIGA c. Monthly allowances for MUSIGA Staff d. Institutional strengthening for GAPI (Producers and Publishers) e. Institutional strengthening for GAMRO (IP Collective Management Organization) f. Initiatives for the establishment of the proposed National Music Council
E. Ghana Music Fair (GHC600,000) a. A one-week business oriented event to showcase Ghana’s varied musical heritage, promote investment and business opportunities such marketing of products, instruments and technologies in the music industry
BACKGROUND PAPER ON THE PROPOSALS FOR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
SUBMITTED BY MUSICIANS UNION OF GHANA(MUSIGA) - OCTOBER , 2011
Creative Industries
Background
The creative industries are generally construed as a range of economic activities that deals with either the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information. It is defined by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in the United Kingdom as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.”(DCMS 2001, p. 04). Eleven creative sectors are recognized in this definition, namely: Music Film, video and photography Visual and performing arts Craft and antique markets Design Designer Fashion Software, computer games and electronic publishing Publishing Advertising Architecture Television and Radio The above list may further be reduced into two as follows: a) the core cultural industries and b) the text or cultural artifacts industries. The former encompass the advertising, marketing, broadcasting, film, internet, print and electronic publishing, video, computer and music industries.
The latter refers to those industries that create 'texts' or 'cultural artifacts' and which engage in some form of industrial reproduction. The Creative Industries may also be classified, at various stages, according to who owns what copyrights during the production and distribution of a creative content (WIPO). This is very true of complex creative properties (e.g., films), for which the production requires diversely skilled inputs that must be present and performed at some minimum level to produce a valuable outcome. It is also the case where the products are differentiated by quality and uniqueness (e.g., works of creative writing, whether poetry, novel, or screenplays). It is also true in products where skills are vertically differentiated. Artists, for instance, are ranked in accordance to their skills, originality, and proficiency in creative processes and/or products since small differences in skills and talent tend to yield huge differences in financial success.
Globally, trade in creative goods and services has remained largely robust despite the financial and economic meltdown following the world financial crisis. Global trade in services and products of creativity continues to register an impressive annual average growth of 14 per cent (Creative Economy Report 2010: A Feasible Development Option). Global exports of creative goods and services between 2002 and 2008 reached nearly US$600 billion with developing countries accounting for 43% (i.e., US$176 billion) with an annual rate of growth of 13.5%.
Nigeria’s share of this market is sizeable where the country's $2.75 billion film industry is the third largest in the world after the United States and India. That country’s creative industries produce more than 1,000 films and music products annually and create thousands of in-country jobs. The creative industries are now the second most important industry after oil. To reposition the industry, the Federal Government has recently invested in the film, music and artefacts industries, and reformed policies and provided critical training to actors and players in the industry.
There is no gainsaying that Ghana can also benefit immensely if it begins to tap her creative economy particularly those of the music and film industries. This is because if well-nurtured, along with the traditional and the oil & gas sectors, the creative economy can be a source of enormous growth, job creation, innovation and trade. Fortunately, Ghana has many styles of traditional and modern music, due to its multiplicity of ethnic groups and its cosmopolitan geographic position in West Africa. The best known modern genre that originated in Ghana is Highlife with its latest rendition being the Hiplife. Highlife incorporates elements of swing, jazz, rock, ska, samba and soukous.
Boosting the Music Industry MUSIGA, which acts as the main umbrella trade union body of the country’s music industry, serves as the main work horse of the Ghanaian music industry. To reposition the music industry will require strengthening the institutional structures of MUSIGA. This will involve rebranding MUSIGA to render it more attractive and lucrative to songwriters, performers, composers and publishers, internal and external industry players like event organizers and the country’s policymakers in particular. It will also involve undertaking deliberate programmes with local and foreign partners and government across the country to create needed vertical and lateral jobs and wealth for industry players.
One important programme that will be pursued is the continuous development of all the professionals within the industry through seminars and workshops to acquire the needed skills. To this end, MUSIGA would set up world class Music Industry Development Centre to promote and market its creative products both locally and internationally. An annual Music Fair is also in the pipeline to serve as a platform for promoting music as a viable business endeavor. If this proves successful, in subsequent years, it will be organized internationally outside the borders of Ghana.
In conformity with current international practice, there is an urgent need to establish a national music council which will serve as an umbrella body for all players in the music industry. To this end, MUSIGA, working in collaboration with other industry players will purse ongoing efforts towards the establishment of the National Music Council by the end of 2012.
To implement all of the above for Ghana to reap the full benefits from the music industry requires ample investment. While MUSIGA is stepping up efforts to enhance its own income generation, like all other industries, it would need support from the Government, and it is the fervent hope of the entire musical fraternity that, as part of the Better Ghana agenda, and for the first time in the history of Ghana, the music industry would be given the full attention and support it deserve, by being catered for in the 2012 national budget.
Bice Obour Osei Kuffour President, MUSIGA
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