Tanzania govt: BASATA fees will support creative sector

Mwakyembe was speaking at a press conference in Dar es Salaam last week after a number of music professionals expressed their dissatisfaction with the latest registration regulations effected on 1 July.

Mwakyembe said the National Arts Council (BASATA) would not seek to amend the regulations because it had engaged relevant stakeholders in the music industry on a number of occasions. He said the musicians who had complained were not active participants in decision-making processes and many of them were misinformed.

"Most of these artists do not attend stakeholders meetings and workshops, “he said. “I have the names of entrepreneurs involved in stakeholders' sessions.

"Many artists have had a tendency to ignore calls for meetings because they do not see the value but only complain after the decision has been made. Most of them do not know that these fees were passed in September 2016.”

The new regulations require that all music professionals and agencies operating in the Tanzanian music industry pay BASATA between 50 000 and 5 million Tanzanian shillings ($2 200) in registration fees.

"I am sure there is no big advertising company unable to pay Tsh 5 million and I wonder who exactly those complaining are defending because I am yet to officially receive a complaint,” Mwakyembe said.

He said half of the money collected would be channelled to advance various projects in the creative sector. “BASATA will use 50% of the money to set up a kitty for artists to enable them to access loans to finance their projects."

Mwakyembe also cautioned artists dealing with advertising agencies against rushing into signing contracts before carefully studying them.

"You will find an artist entering a year-old agreement but the poster stays up to three years, with the artist not getting anything.

“Artist are entitled to question the advertisers and if possible ask them to remove the billboards. One of the reasons for issuing high rates for the advertising industry is due to their long-term exploitation of artists,” Mwakyembe said.