Veteran Ghanaian musician and Board Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), Rex Omar, has publicly lambasted the Ghanaian government for what he describes as a prolonged and unacceptable delay in resolving the licensing status of GHAMRO, a key institution mandated to manage copyright and royalties for music creators in the country.
In a recent interview with George Quaye, Rex Omar expressed deep frustration with the state’s handling of Ghana’s intellectual property (IP) framework and its failure to prioritise support for the creative sector. He argued that successive administrations, including both the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government and the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, have neglected the necessary policy and operational reforms that would strengthen collective management organisations like GHAMRO.
According to Rex Omar, GHAMRO has been operating without a valid licence since 2023, after its authorisation was revoked, leaving the organisation in a state of legal and operational limbo. The delay in renewing or reinstating its licence, he contends, hampers GHAMRO’s ability to effectively collect and distribute royalties on behalf of rights holders, a foundational function for ensuring that Ghanaian musicians benefit economically from the use of their works.
His remarks come amid broader concerns about the structure and sustainability of Ghana’s creative industries. In a separate interview, Rex Omar also highlighted the financial struggles faced by many Ghanaian musicians, noting that a vast majority are not earning significant income from their craft, a situation he partly attributes to systemic shortcomings in royalty management and industry support.
While he welcomed recent budgetary allocations to the music and film sectors, suggesting that government intentions to support creative arts may be improving, Rex Omar emphasised that policy implementation and IP regulation must keep pace if meaningful progress is to be realised.
The impasse over GHAMRO’s licence renewal has raised questions about the efficacy of Ghana’s copyright ecosystem and its ability to protect creators’ rights. Industry stakeholders and rights holders are now urging government policymakers to prioritise a resolution that will restore full legal operations to GHAMRO, reinforce confidence in the IP system, and ensure that Ghana’s music creators can earn fair compensation for the use of their work.
As debates continue, many in the creative community will be watching closely to see whether the government responds constructively to Rex Omar’s criticisms and whether substantive reforms to Ghana’s intellectual property governance are forthcoming.
