Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has promised to implement some policies to boost the growth of the creative industry if he is elected president at the 2024 general elections.
Speaking today, June 7, at a policy dialogue with the creative arts industry stakeholders held at the AH Hotel in Accra, the ex-president talked about the lucrative aspect of the creative industry and its socio-economic importance to the country.
“The creative arts is a very important industry and has the potential to create millions of jobs. All our young people who are sitting at home, many of them are talented but there are no opportunities for them to show their talents,” he said.
According to him, a creative sector that is built on a strong foundation will create opportunities for young Ghanaians and improve livelihood outcomes.
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“So if we are able to put the creative industry on a sound footing, it will create opportunities for many of our young people,” he added.
As part of his speech, he unveiled several plans aimed at improving the creative industry that his government would implement if voted into power in the upcoming general elections.
Below, The Accra Times has listed 22 of those plans.
- Make budgetary allocations for the creative arts.
- Announce the Golden Age of Culture, Arts, and Tourism policies to promote entrepreneurship and job creation in these sectors.
- A key initiative, the BlackStar Experience, focuses on fostering an African spirit in Ghanaians and attracting international visitors to Ghana’s cultural offerings.
- Renovate cultural and artistic centres across the various regions.
- Streamlining IP laws and copyright procedures.
- Film festivals will feature screenings of Ghanaian productions.
- Organise arts exhibitions, music shows and fashion programmes.
- A special emphasis will be placed on drama and theatre arts, with playwrights encouraged to exhibit their works.
- Creatives will represent Ghanaian culture and arts at international trade fairs.
- Establishing a film village and purchasing film equipment at a low cost for filmmakers.
- Restore the National Theatre in Accra and construct a second National Theatre in Kumasi.
- Obtain a channel for creative arts programmes on digital terrestrial television (DTT), and provide technology that makes the show payable, so that viewers will pay to watch.
- Provide special rates for performances at Blackstar Square, the Accra International Conference Centre, and other government-owned venues.
- Promote the inclusion of music and arts in the curriculum by providing trained teachers for these subjects.
- Provide tax benefits to artists with Tax Identification Numbers (TINs).
- Create an official fund for ageing artists.
- Restore the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC)
- Develop all tourist sites in partnership with the private sector.
- Restore the Marine Drive Project
- Establish amusement parks.
- Evaluate the tourism fund to ensure that it benefits all stakeholders in the tourism value chain.
- Build a new city on the banks of the Volta Region to facilitate activities that will generate arts and boost tourism.
- Hold an annual stakeholder dialogue with members of the Creative Arts.
