"We are grateful" - MUSIGA

Alhaji Sidiku Buari The President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Alhaji Sidiku Buari on Tuesday commended the Government for heeding to the call of the Union and waiving tax on the importation of musical instruments in its recent Budget Statement.

Alhaji Buari said that the action the Government had taken was very laudable since it would help improve the music industry by promoting live band shows, lift the image of the industry as well as create employment for other Ghanaians in the arts industry.

Speaking at a press conference to launch the "Ghana Music Week" in Accra, Alhaji Buari said the lack of appropriate cultural development strategies and funding opportunities had for a long time undermined the human and institutional capacity development of the industry.

The Ghana Music Week, which takes off from March 1 to March 6, is being organized under the auspices of the National Commission on Culture (NCC) in collaboration with MUSIGA, National Theatre, the Copyright Administration and Heritage Development, social development consultants and practitioners.

The celebration, to be transformed into an annual event would create a forum for Ghanaian musicians to interact with other musicians, present their music and create new works to meet international standards.

It would feature workshops on Gospel, Reggae, Highlife, Hiplife and traditional music and also address issues of concern to Ghanaian musicians such as copyright, contracts with managers as well as developing promotional packages.

Old musicians termed by MUSIGA, as living legends would be honoured as well.

Alhaji Buari said discussions on the various insurance schemes like the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the National Health Insurance Scheme would be held to explore how Musicians could contribute and enjoy from such benefits.

He said: "We want to be part of the national insurance schemes and also to contribute towards the development of Ghana by paying our income tax."

In a speech read for Professor George Hagan, Chairman of the NCC, by Mr Michael Attipoe, a Director at the Commission, he described the event as historic in the sense that it would give a new sense of direction and hope to musicians and others in the industry.

He, therefore, urged all corporate bodies to provide sponsorship towards "this noble cause".

Prof Hagan said since music was a tool for national identity, cohesion and development, the Government through the Commission had set up a Planning Committee to plan the congress of Artistes to see to the issues affecting them.

He urged MUSIGA not to forget those who laid the foundation for "what we can uniquely call Ghanaian music.

"In our effort to be part of the globalised world, we should sieve, pick and choose, bearing in mind our national focus and direction."

Mr Bernard Bosomprah, the Copyright Administrator, said the Copyright Bill was currently under discussion before the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and expressed the hope that it would soon be laid before the full House for consideration. He said the old Law had become obsolete and could not meet the challenges for the dissemination of copyright works in this ICT age, adding that the new Bill had enhanced penalty for copyright infringement and had given additional right to owners.

He, therefore, called for the co-operation and support of all copyright owners to ensure that the Bill went through Parliamentary procedures early enough.

There were performances by artistes to grace the launching.