Movie Players Asked To Join “ARSOG” To Enjoy Membership Welfares

Richard Prempeh

Chairman of the Audio Visual Rights Society of Ghana (ARSOG), Richard Prempeh, has called on performers in the movie industry to register with the organisation to enable them to benefit from disbursements from the blank levy from ARSOG.

Mr Prempeh was speaking in the wake of a directive by the Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Catherine Abelema Afeku, to the Copyright administrator to release funds due to ARSOG for distribution to its members.

The minister’s directive follows a delay in the distribution of the levy to the members of ARSOG.

The call by ARSOG for the registration of the performers in the industry is to enable the organisation to adequately distribute the blank levy.

Mr Prempeh, whose Village Productions produced the popular 'Taxi Driver' series on TV, called for unity in the movie industry.

He said this will position the industry to take advantage of the many opportunities opening up in the film industry.

He commended Madam Afeku and her team along with the AG’s Department for their timely intervention to resolve the impasse.

Mr Prempeh also applauded the various measures the minister is putting in place to improve the industry.

These include the work being done by a committee to prepare for the necessary L.I to actualise the Film Bill and the Film Fund which will bring tremendous relief to movie makers in Ghana.

According to Mr Prempeh, ARSOG will work feverishly to ensure that the levy is distributed to both producers and performers who are duly registered.

He added that preparations are underway for elections to the ARSOG board.

Meanwhile, industry players have expressed surprise that the Copyright administrator insisted that performers be paid from the levy even though they have not registered with ARSOG while she did not insist same with the other collection societies.