This meeting brought together key industry players and tax administrators to explore ways to restructure taxation, supporting growth in the sector rather than hindering it.

They’re introducing a new digital tool called the Ntoboa app, designed to help creatives manage their tax obligations more efficiently. 

 “What we lack is why we are here,” she stated. “We have a teeming number of talented young people, but without proper structures and understanding, the sector cannot thrive. We are here to find a human-centered approach to taxation.”

The Minister praised President John Mahama for recognizing the creative sector’s value by realigning the ministry in 2013 to include Creative Arts formally, stating that the sector’s contribution to tourism and national revenue must be acknowledged and nurtured.

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr. Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, affirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting the sector, noting, “If we shut down this sector, there would be a crisis in this country.” He highlighted that taxes fund national development and stressed the importance of finding a mutually beneficial framework for compliance that considers the peculiar challenges of creatives.

A key highlight of the meeting was the introduction of Ntoboa app, aimed at helping creatives better manage their tax obligations and contributions. The platform is expected to improve transparency and simplify the tax process for industry players.

The Minister also announced initiatives to use theatre and performing arts to educate creatives on tax issues. “We’ll work with National Theatre players and theatre groups to raise awareness through community-based skits, flash performances, and market outreach,” she said.

The session ended with a mutual agreement to reconvene for a more detailed working session, where a roadmap and possible incentives for the sector will be discussed further. 

This landmark meeting signals a new collaborative chapter between government agencies and the creative industry, aiming to ensure long-term sustainability, equity, and economic contribution.

Speaking at Joy FM’s 7th Showbiz Roundtable hosted by Kwame Dadzie on Saturday, September 6, 2025, Cyril noted that while it was commendable for the GRA to invest in CSR projects, it would be more strategic to focus on industries like the arts and tourism, which face significant challenges but also hold enormous economic potential.

“I will humbly suggest that the hundreds of thousands, even millions, that GRA spends on corporate social responsibility be redirected to nurturing these new sectors, like the creative arts, which you are targeting for tax revenue to widen the net,” he said.

He argued that the current approach appeared to be misplaced:

“It doesn’t make business sense if we are the ones sitting on a $50 billion industry and we are not partners in attaining that goal. GRA can take money to go and supply, say, shoes somewhere else—it is a noble cause, but I am a strategy guy. If you help me to get $50 billion, we will build the shoe factory. So it looks like a misprioritisation from where I stand,” Cyril explained.

The roundtable, themed “GRA Vs. Creatives – Taxation and the Future of Ghana’s Creative & Digital Economy,” brought together event organisers, DJs, MCs, artiste managers, bloggers, YouTubers, musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, visual artists, dancers, comedians, and other creative entrepreneurs.

Officials from the GRA also participated, including Isaac Kobina Amoako, Chief Revenue Officer and Head of the GRA IT Training Centre, and Victor Yao Akogo, Chief Revenue Officer at the Domestic Tax Division.

Industry voices present were Kojo Poku, Vice President of the Event and Meeting Professionals Association of Ghana; Francis Doku, Chief Executive Officer of Maestro Africa Group; Robert Klah, Head of Public Events and Communications at Charterhouse; playwright and CEO of Globe Productions Latif Abubakar; poet and literary coach Nana Asaase; and comedian Lekzy DeComic.

Source: Joy Entertainment

Congratulations to President-Elect John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on their victory.

Ghanaians have very high expectations of John Mahama and will not hesitate to vent their spleen on the new government if it reneges on its promises.

While the citizens of Ghana look forward to seeing Mahama honour the provisions in his 120 days social contract, the creative industry also has some priority areas that must be tackled as soon as possible.

Prior to December 7, 2024 election, Joy FM was very instrumental in the politics of the creative industry as we engaged stakeholders in the arts on what the industry really needs. We also held the historic Manifesto Debate on Creative Economy which offered representatives from the political parties a platform to explain their policy ideas for the tourism, arts and culture sector.

The NDC which has won power, has outlined more than twenty-two (22) policy ideas for the creative industry but the truth of the matter is that they can’t fulfill all these promises. For John Mahama to make any meaningful impact on our sector, he needs to reach out for the low hanging fruits and the things we really need, first. He needs to, for example, discard that idea of providing a television channel for events. That proposal is wishy-washy and must not be considered.

In tandem with this, I present ten (10) things Mahama must consider for the creative economy as soon he is sworn into office on 7th January, 2025.

(1) No Deputy Minister: He should scrap the deputy positions for most of the ministries including our Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. There is enough evidence to show that the deputy ministers are merely titular and perform little or no functions at all. When you hold them accountable, they tell you they are not in charge and that they just assist their bosses. Truly, they have never been in charge because the constitution does not put them in charge. Our ministry needs just one minister, particularly someone from our industry or someone who really understands the creative economy. There are directors and CEOs at the various institutions in the ministry who can always work with the minister. Under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture alone, we have the CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, CEO of Ghana Tourism Development Company, CEO of National Film Authority, Director of National Commission on Culture, Executive Director of National Theatre, Director at National Folklore Board, Director of Creative Arts at the Ministry and Executive Secretary of Creative Arts Agency.

Other institutions and agencies like the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Bureau of Ghana Languages, Pan-African Writers Association, Hotel Training and Tourism Institute, the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre which also fall under the ministry, all have directors.

To cap it all, the Ministry even has a Chief Director in the person of Robert Patrick Ankobiah, who took over from John Yao Agbeko in September 2024.

With all these people at post and considering how less powerful the deputy minister position is, it’s a waste of tax payer’s money to have someone deputise for a substantive minister.

President Mahama should scrap that position, and just appoint one person who has grasp of the industry as the Minister. This will even help him achieve his quest to have fewer number of ministers.

(2) Build the amphitheatres: In his first year, Mahama should finish up with the construction of the 5 amphitheatres that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) started working on. There is a World Bank money already sitting for that project. I understand the NDC has planned on renovating the cultural centres across the country (a promise they made in 2012 but failed to honour when they assumed power in 2013), but they need to first finish up with the amphitheatres.

(3). Assent all LIs: In the last quarter of the year, reports say the Legislative Instruments of the Creative Arts Arts (1048) and that for the Classification of Film Development Act (935) and the Culture Policy, were presented to parliament for assent. John Mahama should expedite the ratification of these documents, form a Board for the Creative Arts Agency and resource the National Film Authority. The real “norming” of our industry begins here.

(4) ‘Steal’ some NPP ideas: Some of the NPP policy ideas are laudable. Tap into them. That is the beauty of democracy. Implement the Travel Protocol Service policy proposed by the NPP in their manifesto which seeks to ease the stress creatives go through when travelling outside the country for their assignments. Also even though the Blackstar Experience by the NDC is a good concept, they should not scrap the Beyond the Return and December in GH initiatives started by the NPP. The NPP government did an amazing job with these initiatives which have given Ghana a very positive image on the international scene, and have as well caused a boost in our tourism and arts especially during the Yuletide. We can’t drop the ball. Make them part of the Experience.

(5) ) The tax breaks! The NDC has promised to Introduce tax breaks for creative artists who have Tax Identification Numbers(TIN). This has been the headache of industry people and if they are able to implement it, they will win the hearts of a lot of the people. The percentages of taxes paid by these fledgling creative event companies and individuals is becoming a burden for them. The Orange Economy is a gold mine which can contribute greatly to our GDP. We only need to ensure proper measures like streamlining the creatives’ tax contributions and providing them with the right education on taxation.

(6) Stakeholder meetings: Don’t forget to hold annual stakeholders dialogue with people in the Creative Arts as you have promised. Mahama doesn’t even need to be personally present at these meetings. The minister or directors can take up that task. Engaging with industry and getting feedback in time, will greatly help the development of the nation. Do not renege on this promise!

(7) Fix the ramshackle copyright system: Take care of the copyright system in the first year. Amend the copyright laws and re-structure royalty collection and distribution modalities as soon as possible. I will defer to a suggestion that was once made by artiste manager Kwasi Ernest that let radio and television stations pay their royalties before you issue or renew their licences. Our creatives are losing out on their due as a result of poor royalty collection and distribution system.

(8) Marine Drive Project: The incoming government should pay attention to the Marine Drive Project which has been abandoned by this government for a while. It was just about three weeks ago that they visited the site and shared photos to that effect; just a few weeks to election. Also, President Mahama should investigate any form of financial mismanagement that may have taken place in this project’s execution.

(9) Reinstate cultural attachés: Mahama should also restore the cultural attachés in our missions abroad. The attachés in the past helped in shaping cultural diplomacy decisions and promoting Ghana’s cultural identity abroad. There is a lot to learn about how the South African government has positioned itself in selling their culture and tourism abroad. For example, in Ghana, they have been able to market their arts and culture beautifully to the Ghanaian community. During December in GH, they have their own strategy of plugging their amapiano music in Ghana. They even insist commercials and Live Presenter Mentions for their arts products and services on Ghanaian radio are done with amapiano music as bed. We can achieve a similar effect if we re-instate our cultural attachés in our missions in foreign countries.

(10) Pay attention to art education: Make the teaching and learning of creative arts in our schools more effective. Train enough creative arts teachers for the various basic schools in the country. One of the major challenges of arts education at the basic level is that there are usually lack of teachers who are well-versed in the creative arts subjects. Also provide the right teaching and learning materials for this. Award scholarships to arts students who excel. In a growing music industry like Ghana’s, it is quite unfortunate that none of our tertiary institutions offers any course in Music Business. President Mahama should take up the challenge to introduce this course in some of our tertiary institutions. Lastly, make Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) your primary focus.

Mr. President-Elect, development is a continuum. We know you can’t do everything. But you can’t take us back, too.

Our industry has no time for honeymoon, sir. Make Ghana and yourself proud. “It is finished”! 

About the author

Kwame Dadzie is an arts and culture journalist with the Multimedia Group Limited (Joy FM). He is the host of the most authoritative entertainment talk show in Ghana, Showbiz A-Z on Joy 99.7FM.

Mr. Mahama introduced a comprehensive policy framework named “The Black Experience,” designed to enhance the tourism and creative arts sector.

He expressed optimism about the initiative, emphasizing its potential to significantly bolster these industries.

“I bring good news for the creative industry,” Mahama announced. “Our primary focus will be on ‘The Black Experience,’ a policy aimed at revitalising the tourism and creative arts sectors.”

The Black Experience policy encompasses several major initiatives, including:

1. Pan-African Month: A month dedicated to celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Africa, fostering unity and collaboration among African nations.

2. Ghana Film Festival and Awards Month: An event to showcase and honour the achievements of Ghanaian filmmakers and the broader film industry.

3. Ghanaian Heritage and History Month: A period to reflect on and celebrate Ghana’s storied past and cultural legacy.

4. Fashion and Food Month: An initiative to highlight and promote Ghanaian fashion and cuisine, showcasing the country’s creative talents.

5. Diasporan Month: A time to recognize and engage with the Ghanaian diaspora, encouraging their participation in national development and cultural exchange.

Mahama also committed to revitalizing all regional Centres of National Culture, ensuring they become accessible hubs for the creative industry.

Furthermore, he stressed the significance of supporting veteran artistes, guaranteeing they receive the acknowledgment and support they merit.

“Our commitment is to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable creative industry that honours our heritage and propels our cultural narrative on the global stage,” Mr Mahama concluded.

This comes a month after he announced about twenty-two promises for the creative arts:

(1). To make budgetary allocation for the creative arts

(2) Declare the Golden Age of Culture, Arts and Tourism, an overarching policy for the sector: where there will be actions and modules to promote job creation and entrepreneurship. Under this will be the Black Star Experience, which will be one of the sub-themes to imbue Africanism in Ghanaians and encourage people to come from all over the world to see our arts, tourism and culture.

(3). Renovate Centres of Arts and Culture in the various regions.

4). To streamline copyright modalities and IP Laws

(5). There will be film festivals where Ghanaian films will be exhibited.

(6) They will also organize arts exhibitions, music shows, fashion programmes

(7) There will be special focus on drama and theatre arts: playwrights will be supported to exhibit their plays

(8) Creatives to attend international trade fairs to exhibit Ghanaian culture and arts.

(9) To pursue the dream of establishing a film village, get equipment at low cost for filmmakers.

(10) To rehabilitate the National Theatre in Accra and build a second National Theatre in Kumasi.

(11) To acquire a special event channel for the creative arts programmes on digital terrestrial television (DTT), provide a technology that will make that show payable, so people will pay to watch.

(12) To give special rates for performances at Blackstar Square, Accra International Conference Centre and other venues owned by the government.

(13) Encourage the teaching of music and arts in the curriculum: provide trained teachers for such subjects.

(14) Introduce tax breaks for creative artists who have Tax Identification Numbers (TIN).

(15) Formalize a fund for ageing artistes.

(16) Revive the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC)

(17) In partnership with the private sector, develop all the tourist sites

(18) Revive the Marine Drive Project

(19) Provide Amusement Parks

(20) Review the tourism fund, make sure it benefits the various stakeholders in the tourism value chain

(21) Build a new city on the banks of the Volta Region with facilities that will generate arts activities and boost tourism.

(22) Hold annual stakeholder’s dialogue with people in the Creative Arts

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