2012 budget: Government allocates GH¢2m to support creative arts industry
Ghana’s creative industry got a major mention when the government presented the 2012 budget themed “Infrastructural Development for Accelerated Growth and Job Creation” in parliament today November 16, 2011.
Presenting the budget, Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor said Ghana can benefit immensely if it begins to tap the creative sector of the economy, particularly those of the music and film industries.
But this, Dr Duffour said, will require an evaluation of the potential of the creative industry to contribute to the growth of the economy.
“An amount of GH¢2 million has been allocated to support the creative arts industry in 2012,” the text of budget read by Dr Duffour said.
According to him, beginning 2012, government will collaborate with the music industry to identify the potential of the industry through an impact assessment study.
He adds “The study will be used to support the preparation of a medium term strategic framework that will guide the development of the industry. Government will also support the organisation of the 2012 Ghana Music Fair.”
The Minister admitted the fact that Ghana has a vibrant creative arts industry that can be nurtured to create jobs and provide increased income to all stakeholders.
The industry covers creative sectors such as music, film, video and photography, visual and performing arts, publishing, etc., it said.
According to Dr Duffuor, global trade in creative goods and services remained very robust during the financial and economic meltdown, with the value of global export of creative goods and services reaching nearly $600 billion between 2002 and 2008.
The industry, according to experts creates a lot of job opportunities for people even more than the oil industry.
For instance, California in the US, which is the world’s entertainment city, is the ninth wealthiest city in the world and it is richer than Texas, which is an oil city in the US.
In 2009, the World Bank expressed interest in supporting the creative industry in Ghana.
The former Country Director of the Bank in Ghana, Ishac Diwan said on Joy FM’s Current Affairs show, Front Page, hosted by Kwaku Sakyi-Addo and monitored by ghanabusinessnews.com Friday March 13, 2009, that cinema started in Ghana in the 1950s and, given the right support, Ghana should be doing well in the sector.
“The arts bring out the culture, strengthens the beautiful things in the country and also as a good industry it creates thousands of jobs, just like architecture and other industries,” he said.
While, he did not make any specific promise, he indicated that the Bank has been supporting the industry directly, by doing some work with some individual artistes, adding, “I hope something bigger can be put together.”
By Ekow Quandzie