body-container-line-1
08.01.2009 Industry News

MERQURY IMPLORES GOVERNMENT TO INVEST IN ENTERTAINMENT

By Merqury Quaye
MERQURY IMPLORES GOVERNMENT TO INVEST IN ENTERTAINMENTMERQURY IMPLORES GOVERNMENT TO INVEST IN ENTERTAINMENT
08.01.2009 LISTEN

Soundcity Ghana's Top presenter, Merqury Quaye has expressed concern about government's insensitivity to the entertainment industry over the years and has therefore called for sustained, concerted and simultaneous efforts aimed at addressing the basic problems that face the music and film industry in Ghana.

Addressing a section of the media at his residence in Accra yesterday, Merqury elaborated that these basic problems include inadequate finance for quality production of music and movies, lack of laws to protect the intellectual properties of artists, piracy and the inefficiency of the bodies responsible for dispensation of royalties to artistes.

He therefore pleaded that a Parliamentary Committee on Entertainment be set up to address the numerous problems facing the entertainment industry and implored the government to play an integral role in providing platforms for musicians, actors and other stakeholders to learn how to appreciate and preserve the music industry as an integral part of Ghanaian culture for posterity.

According to Merqury, his concern could not have been raised at a better time than this in which a government that is committed to investment in people has been sworn in office and added that the massive support that Nana Akuffo Addo, the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party had from renowned entertainers in Ghana was triggered by his promise to address their needs if he had won the elections.

He lamented that many talented entertainers in Ghana are in deplorable living conditions; a phenomenon that does not catalyze creativity. He pointed out that these problems boil down to the fact that bodies put in place to address peculiar needs of musicians and actors alike, are rather virtually dysfunctional due to lack of logistics. 'The need is, therefore ripe for government to take pragmatic steps to fortify these bodies to enhance their efficiency' he noted.

'It, therefore, behooves on the newly formed President Atta Mills' government to initiate steps to concretize its theme “Investing in People” to compliment the confidence that the masses have reposed in it' he concluded.

Merqury Quaye is the presenter of Soundcity Top 10 Ghana, the first ever music video chart show on Television in Ghana, a sound engineer and also works as a publicist For Dees Investments, operators of Ghana's premier night club, Par-Dees located at Ashalebotwe in Accra.

body-container-line