Please Pay Us The Levy - MUSIGA Tells Concert Organizers

The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has issued a reminder to local event organizers who have been inviting international artistes to perform in the country without paying any levy to the Union as their constitution demands.

In a press statement last Tuesday, signed by the acting General Secretary Jude lomotey, MUSIGA said as the umbrella body for over 95 percent of musicians in the country, MUSIGA always looks forward to meeting and sharing ideas with international artistes who come to perform here.

However, the statement said, "it is a custom internationally that event organizers pay fraction of the fees due to such international artistes to the union of the country the artistes visit and also pay our local musicians 20 percent of the fees paid to the foreign musicians".

"Unfortunately", according to the statement, "event organizers have failed to pay local musicians who perform alongside any of these foreign artistes the requisite fee due such local performers...as contained in the MUSIGA constitution.


Article 26 of the MUSIGA constitution, under the title 'Foreign Musicians Performing in Ghana' says: "The event organizer or invitee shall pay a levy to the union. The amount should not be less that Five million cedis and not more that one hundred million cedis".

"The levy shall be used to support the welfare and development of the uinon. The amount quoted is subjected to change by the national Executive Council".

"The union shall give all the necessary help to the organizer of the event and give the fullest support and cooperation to make the event a success".

"Supporting local musicians who will perform with any foreign musician(s) shall be paid not less that 20% of the amount paid to the foreign".

The MUSIGA statement ended by drawing the attention to the omission and expressed the hope that the right thing will be done henceforth.