No deal reached on payment of photocopying fees - NUGS

Accra, Jan 12, GNA -The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) on Wednesday said that it had not clinched any deal with Copy Ghana for students to pay reprographic royalties to writers and publishers as carried by a section of the Media.

In a statement, Mr Abubakari Forgor, President of NUGS, said although Copy Ghana and the Student Leadership met to discuss how students could compensate right owners for their literary works, they did not reach any conclusive decision.

He said at the meeting Copy Ghana Caucus suggested that students, especially those in the tertiary institutions be billed an amount of 10,000 cedis for massive photocopying, effective 2005 / 2006 academic year but the Student Leadership declined.

"Rather the Student Leaders asked for some time to enable them to confer with their constituent to seek their consent and inputs as regard payment of reprographic royalties, which eventually became the consensus of the meeting for which Copy Ghana representatives called for urgency in the proposed consultations."

Mr Forgor said unfortunately media reportage by GTV on January 9 2005 and of Metro TV, TV Africa and Evening News on January 8 2005 created the impression that all was set for students in the tertiary institutions to pay reprographic royalties to writers and publishers. The statement said NUGS, therefore, found it surprising and to some extent a breach of agreement for any party to conclude to the effect that a deal had finally been reached and that payment would soon begin.