Nothing Sinful About Collecting Royalties From Churches - GHAMRO

Executives of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) have defended their initiative to tax churches for songs of gospel artists used.

The organisation, led by Chief Operating Officer of GHAMRO, Abraham Adjartey, explained that it is entirely lawful to take royalties from church even though some gospel artists think it is sin.

According to him, these gospel artists are ignorant of what the law says which is why they feel like taking money from the church on their behalf is not good.

He outlined that the decision to start taking royalties from churches was not born out of bad intent, rather it was made on the basis of Section 49 of the Copyright Law, Act 690 of 2005 and regulated under L.I. 1962 of 2010 which mandates that any institution using copyright material can be taxed.

This he said to placate the artists who have been against the initiative pointing out that most churches are not against it, as one of them have already agreed. 

“It is rather interesting the opposing views we are getting from the sector, but that should not have been the case. The truth is that there’s nothing abominable or sinful about collecting royalties from the churches."

"Besides, the churches are not even against it after many engagements with them, but unfortunately, it is some Gospel artistes who feel that what we intend to do is abominable. Perhaps, the gospel artistes should be enlightened about the legal functions of GHAMRO so it doesn't look like we are witch-hunting the Church or God’s people.”

Citing artists like Patience Nyarko and Eric Jeshrun, he opined that these artists rightfully feel like taking money from the church on their behalf might destroy the relationship artists have with churches but it is not unlawful.

Patience Nyarko had earlier noted that gospel musicians owe everything they have to churches because most of their songs come from them.

While speaking in an interview with Accra-based radio station Onua FM she accused GHAMRO of aiming to spoil the relationship that churches and gospel artists currently enjoy. 

“If the Churches ask Gospel artistes to stop recording or singing their songs or even ask every artiste who has commercially recorded songs belonging to them (church) to pay royalties to them, that money will be so huge that Gospel musicians cannot pay,” she noted.