Kofi Bentil Advocates Industry Chamber For Publishers

By Belinda Ayamgha
Mr Kofi Bentil, Vice President of IMANI Ghana, has called on Ghanaian book publishers to form an industry chamber in order to better co-ordinate its efforts and have a greater impact on government and the society.

He also urged them to widen their purview by publishing their books on all platforms, including electronic and audio, and not only in print.

He made the comments when he gave the keynote address at the opening of the 14th Ghana International Book Fair in Accra, on the theme: “Growing the knowledge-based economy through reading.

“Form a chamber, up your game and make sure you lobby government and compete with the other publishers from wherever they come from,” he added. He urged the society to support publishers as what they do is important for the education of children and for personal and national development.

Mr Bentil explained that while a large number of government spending is in the education sector, Ghanaian book publishers need to make their products internationally competitive so as to attract a larger part of government's spending on education.

“The content must be competitive internationally,” he stated.

“I'm urging the book publishers association to, a few years from now, call yourself the Publishers Association and publish on all media; publish electronic books that can be read on mobile phones  and if you do that, more of your work will be read,” he said.

Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, Minister of Education, also encouraged writers and book publishers to involve their potential readers in the process of producing thee books so as to better understand what is or is not interesting to them.

She said knowledge is influenced by various factors including the culture, language, vision and aspirations of the group who originate it. She urged Ghanaians to create relevant knowledge materials. “The knowledge economy must not deepen our sense of dependency,” she noted.

Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, wife of the Vice President, who chaired the occasion, entreated Ghanaians and the reading public to always question the knowledge that they receive. “If we don't do anything with the knowledge, it will not transform us,” she said.

The 14 Ghana International Book Fair run in Accra from August to August, 21,and according to Mr Elliot Agyare, President of the Ghana Book Publishers Association, is to serve as a platform to focus national attention on ways to explore Ghana's preparedness for the opportunities brought by the advent of the knowledge-based economy.  It was also to serve as a one-stop shop for educational materials for schools, students and parents.

GNA