Ho, Aug. 2, GNA- Mr Barima Asumadu-Sakyi, Dean of Conference of Directors and Accountants of Centres for National Culture-Ghana, has asked the government to take necessary steps to build cultural infrastructures across the regions of the country.
He said this would help increase equal access and offer opportunities for people to take part in cultural and creative activities which would eventually lead to the total development of the creative industry.
Mr Asumadu-Sakyi was speaking at this year’s session of Conference of Directors and Accountants of Centres for National Culture-Ghana in Ho, on the theme; “The emerging roles and challenges of cultural administration in Ghana.”
The Dean said lack of cultural facilities in the regions was a major challenge hampering effective cultural administration in the country, adding that most Centres were unable to carry out their function including research and education due to the situation.
He disclosed that most of the existing facilities were dilapidated and needed renovation, and they also did not have equipment such as printers, internet connectivity, computers, laptops to work with.
Mr Asumadu-Sakyi said some offices were still using files to store information in this 21st century, a situation hindering smooth administration and promotion of culture for which the Centres were established.
The Dean said the lack of adequate funds from the central government was making it difficult for most of the Centres of National Culture (CNC) to undertake development projects to promote culture and enhance their performance.
Another herculean challenge faced by cultural administration in contemporary politics is the unnecessary placing of the Centre under various ministries and neglecting them, he said.
He said the cultural sector has been placed in various ministries such as Education, Youth and Sports, Creative Arts and Tourism and Chieftaincy, and that “this unclear placing of a crucial sector…is unacceptable.”
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, said in this era of globalisation and the use of communication technologies, it was important to develop possible ways to protect and project the country’s culture to avoid it being overshadowed and replaced by foreign ones.
He said CNC has a critical role to play in maintaining the country’s culture and therefore implored the Directors to do their best in projecting the country’s culture through planned programmes and activities.
The Minister said venue-based culture sectors, such as performing arts, live music, festivals and cinema were facing difficulties that had resulted in an abrupt drop in revenues and had put their financial sustainability at risk.
The effects of the crisis on distribution channels and the drop in investment by the sector will affect the production of cultural goods and services in the years to come, he predicted.
Dr Letsa, therefore, entreated accountants of the Centres to give the needed support to the Directors to commercially package cultural products and services to derive the desired financial value.
