The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the Government, through the National Film Authority, is committed to supporting the production of world class content and films, as well as increasing the cinema infrastructure in Ghana and, by
extension, on the continent.
To this end, he said a favourable fiscal (tax) regime for cinema projects, including income tax and VAT incentives, import duty exemptions on film production equipment, twenty percent (20%) tax rebate for strategic film productions and film financing reliefs, is being elaborated by Cabinet, which should be out-doored very soon, and should provide another tangible reason for the choice of Ghana as a film
production country.
He said this while delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) today, February 27, at Parliament in Accra.
Tourism
Speaking about tourism, the President said Ghana is finally realising her long-promised potential, pointing events, adding that the excitement of the Year of Return in 2019, Ghana has truly become an attractive tourist destination, with visitor numbers increasing every year.
He said “December in GH” is now an established and increasingly attractive phenomenon, which brings visitors to the country in the month of December, and has changed the events calendar around the Christmas holiday season in Accra and many other towns.
Speaking about the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which has undertaken a modernisation rehabilitation, he said since the commissioning of the modernised park in July 2023, the number of domestic and international visitors has risen dramatically.
“Since the commissioning, there have been two hundred and eight thousand, five hundred and fifty-seven (208,557) domestic and international visitors to the Park between 14th July and 31st December 2023. Compare that, if you may, with the best performance until then, which was in the Year of Return in 2019, when there were one hundred and twenty-six thousand, one hundred and ninety (126,190) visitors in the year,” he said.
He continued that,”Other facilities are being upgraded, and it is good to note that the private sector is showing interest, and getting into the development of tourist attraction sites.”
President Akuo Addo again said the National Museum Gallery, which had been closed down since 2015, has also been fully refurbished.
“It attracted over thirty-five thousand (35,000) visitors in 2023, and I am particularly pleased that school children form a good part of the visitors to these sites,” he stated.
He said the first-ever Kente Museum, aimed at preserving the cultural heritage in Ghana, has been built at Bonwire in the Ashanti Region, and was recently commissioned by the Second Lady.
“Preparatory works and designs for the construction of the Heroes Park, a museum to commemorate the founding fathers of Ghana, the Big Six, JB Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, William Ofori-Atta, Kwame Nkrumah, were completed in December 2023, and construction will commence very soon,” he added.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
