GHAMRO Board Chairman Rex Omar has berated what he describes as the state’s inadequate commitment to developing Ghana’s creative economy. Speaking on Joy Prime’s PM Express with George Quaye, the veteran highlife musician argued that successive governments have consistently failed to prioritise the country’s IP framework. He states this has weakened key institutions, thereby rendering Collective Management Organisations unable to function appropriately.
He indicated that GHAMRO has been operating without a licence since 2023, following the revocation of its authorisation. Serving under both the NPP and NDC administrations, he said the matter was yet to be resolved and that was undermining efforts at ensuring the right regulation and monetisation of creative works.
According to him, the global economy is increasingly driven by creativity and innovation. He lamented that with Ghana’s lack of a robust IP system covering music, film, design, and patents protection, the country risks losing key revenues.
Although he was critical of prior inertia, he said that he had confidence President John Mahama would see through campaign promises he made to prioritise the sector. He also welcomed the 2026 budget, which included film and music among the areas in which money was to be spent, as encouraging steps toward reform.
