Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia engaged in a dialogue with acclaimed actor Idris Elba and his team at Jubilee House, Accra, to explore avenues for expanding Africa’s creative arts economy.
The discussions centered on ensuring the financial inclusion of Ghanaian creatives and devising strategies to integrate them into the global financial ecosystem.
Highlighting the challenges faced by many African industry players who have been marginalized from the global payment system, Vice President Bawumia proposed the implementation of a new system leveraging block chain technology. This system aims to facilitate fair compensation for African creatives, ensuring they receive proper payment for their music and arts, regardless of where they are commercially utilized worldwide.
“Given Ghana’s advanced digital payment system, the new initiative is set to be launched in Ghana later this year,” stated Vice President Bawumia, expressing gratitude to Idris Elba for his dedication to the advancement of the African creative arts economy.
The meeting with Idris falls in line with Dr Bawumia’s recent address to the nation, when he pledged to revitalize the entertainment sector and introduce innovative measures to boost job creation if elected President of Ghana.
He outlined plans to implement policies, tax incentives, and other initiatives to stimulate private and public investment in tourism, creative arts, and sports.
“We will introduce digital and streaming platforms for our artists, positioning tourism and the creative arts as key drivers of growth in Ghana,” he affirmed, emphasizing the importance of building upon successful initiatives such as the Year of Return and Beyond the Return.
Vice President Bawumia also announced plans to introduce a visa-on-arrival policy for international tourists.
He underscored the commitment of his government to building on the successes of President Akufo-Addo’s administration to ensure continued growth and prosperity in the tourism and creative sectors.
