The board of trustees and members of the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industry (GAPI), an association of music producers, have congratulated Professor Evans Atta Mill on his victory in the 2008 elections.
In a statement signed and issued by the president, John Mensah Sarpong, the association also congratulated Ghanaians for electing a leader through peaceful means.
The association expressed the hope that under the NDC administration the music industry would see progress and added that if the present government would succeed in its activities it should discharge its duties in the supreme interest of the nation.
The statement indicated that over the years past governments failed to recognise the contributions of the music industry to the economy of the country.
It added that they also failed to listen to the cries of stakeholders in the industry, put in place adequate laws to protect intellectual property as well as find lasting solutions to the numerous problems confronting the music industry.
The failure of previous governments to protect the music industry, the statement indicated, had contributed to the numerous problems facing the industry.
This, it said, had influenced music users not to pay accruing royalties to rights owners. Various radio and television stations in the country which survive through the use of music on their networks have also failed to reward the right owners for using their works.
The statement also appealed to the ruling government to assist the industry in its fight against the increasing rate of piracy which is killing the industry.
By George Clifford Owusu