President John Dramani Mahama, on Monday announced that government had secured funding from the Turkish Export and Import (EXIM) Bank, to construct a second National Theatre in Kumasi.

The project forms part of government’s plans to promote theatre for development. President Mahama disclosed this when the players in the creative industry called on him at the Flagstaff House, Kanda.

High on the agenda of the visit was the need for the establishment of a council for the industry, a film policy, protection of intellectual property rights and the essence for increased funding to the sector.

President Mahama indicated that the government is considering the expansion of places for cultural performances and said the various centres for national culture would be revamped in that respect.

He underlined government’s commitment to systematically shore up investment in the creative industry, in partnership with the private sector, to enable it to become one of the major drivers of economic growth after cocoa and gold.

President Mahama noted that the creative art is a major income earner for some countries, adding that in the United Kingdom for instance, the industry is worth in excess of 36 billion pounds. “If we put our investment in the industry it could be one of the major sectors,” he said.

On the need for a film policy to guide the industry, he pointed out that a film/cinematographic bill had been in the works since 1998 and said Cabinet would reconsider it for onward submission to Parliament for approval.

On theft associated with intellectual property, which has been a bane for the industry, President Mahama called for public education for people to appreciate the gravity of the issue and desist from pirating people’s works.

He also advocated stiffer sanctions to deter prospective offenders. The President gave the assurance that government is fully committed to support the industry, hence the re-alignment of the Ministry of Tourism to give a boost to creative arts.

Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana; Mr Kwaw Ansah, Veteran Film maker; and Bice Osei Kuffour, President of Musician Union of Ghana, called for more resource allocation, a film policy to guide the industry and other measures to make the industry vibrant for socio-economic growth.