Charterhouse PRO, Robert Klah
Public Relations Officer for Charterhouse, Robert Klah has called for immediate reforms in the creative sector to address the financial insecurities faced by Ghanaian artistes.
According to him, royalty collection should be enforced, to ensure that the rightful earnings of artistes are provided, thereby reducing the need for emergency fundraising.
He pointed out that in countries like South Africa, such systems are already contributing significantly to artistes' pension funds, providing them with a steady income, even after retirement.
“Royalties, because these are their rightful earnings. What we need is a policy to support this, and for it to be enforced, and any document, any bill whatsoever to be enforced, so that at the end of the day, what is due these people could be realised.
“If we have the royalties fixed, in my encounters with people in South Africa, they clearly explained how they now use this as a basis for pension contributions. Thus, you have a consistent inflow of funds. A portion of these funds is allocated for pension contributions," he said.
Robert Klah further criticised the approach to artistes' welfare, which he deemed ‘reactive’ instead of ‘preemptive,’ lamenting that measures that would secure the financial future of creatives in the informal sector are often overlooked.
“What we are doing right now is usually after the fact, and it's like 'firefighting'. The fire has already happened and you're going to 'firefight' it? Why can't we be a bit more proactive or preemptive? How do we become the solution from the outset, rather than at the end after the issue has occurred?" he said.
Robert Klah also called for political parties to prioritise these issues in their manifestos, labelling them as both urgent and important,
He added that learning from current challenges and implementing preventive strategies is crucial for the long-term well-being of artistes within the creative arts sector.
ID/ ADG
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