By: Roberta Gayode Modin
Chief Executive Officer of JMS Records, John Mensah Sarpong has disclosed that the Ghana Music Right Organization, GHAMRO is inactive because it does not have the license to operate.
According to him, the Attorney General has declined renewal of GHAMRO’s license over failure to institute recommendations from the Mediation Committee to help in proper structuring of the organization and bring an end to its long standing internal conflict.
GHAMRO, led by the Chairman of the Interim Management Committee, Rex Omar disclosed in a press briefing that they will not be able to distribute royalties to members due to withheld operating license in July 1, 2023.
In response to the statement, Mr. Sarpong explained that in 2017, the office of the Attorney General formed a mediation committee to investigate and make appropriate recommendations for GHAMRO.
The mediation committee discovered in its probe that GHAMRO lacked structures for collection and distribution of royalties to its members.
“GHAMRO was tasked by the Attorney General to carry out a forensic auditing, put structures in place for collection and distribution of royalties, review the GHAMRO’s constitution and have an election based on the revised constitution within 12 months”, Mr. Sarpong further stated on Power Entertainment Show on TV XYZ.
“Since 2017 that these recommendations were made, till date GHAMRO has not met them” he added.
He said this decision will present dire consequences to creatives because “GHAMRO is the economic heartbeat of creatives in Ghana”.
