Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), Rex Omar has said members won’t be able to receive their royalties this December as a result of Government’s delay in the release of funds.
According to the Chairman, Government through the Ministry of Finance is unable to pay the due levy to the organization, making it hard for GHAMRO to distribute any money to musicians this December.
“Four months ago, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) told us the whole of this year we have 2.5 million Ghana Cedis. We have been moving up and down on this money because even though we have taken some monies on our own, we need to add the money from the Government to the one we have and then we disburse it.
If this 2.5 million Ghana Cedis is made available, after the deductions, GHAMRO will have 700,000 to add to the money we already have and disburse.
Just yesterday, however, I received information that the government says it can’t give us 2.5 million Ghana Cedis and that it will give us 700,000 Ghana Cedis. How do we disburse such a small amount to over 4,000 musicians? “ Rex Omar told Happy FM
The non-profit corporate body seeks to collect and distribute royalties on behalf of authors/composers and other right owners.
GHAMRO is also duly authorized by written assignments and affiliated to composers’ societies all over the world through the execution of reciprocal representation agreements with Societies outside Ghana whose works Ghana protect under treaty and other international treaties.
