Welcome to the 14th National Development Policy Forum (NDPF) focusing on the Culture and Creative Industries (CCIs). It is a pleasure to see some of Uganda’s great creative minds here today. It is great to have stakeholders from so many different aspects of our creative industries, from visual arts, film, fashion, music, performing arts, and cultural heritage etc.
I commend the National Planning Authority for this Diagnostic Study on Uganda’s Cultural and Creative Industries. The study could not have come at a better time.
The Government has chosen the CCIs to be the center of our 15-Year 10-Fold Economic Growth Strategy due to their huge potential for job creation and revenue generation.
But of course, the value of culture and creativity lies not only in its economic strength. Just as important is the less tangible contribution that they make to our national life. The different creative works bring joy to millions of people. They foster unity, give us a common currency. They help to define and build our sense of national character.
Too often, the contributions of the creative industries are achieved without government support. Artists have been knocking on the doors of the Government for support for a while. Consequently, the government has listened loud and clear to the pleas of the stakeholders in the sector and is committed to removing the barriers to innovation and creativity. So, through the NDPIV, we plan to invest in the creative industries and provide the backing that the artists and creative entrepreneurs need to prosper.
I can confirm that the huge challenge of intellectual property and copyright protection is a priority for the Government. We are committed to finalizing the amendment of the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Act (2006) to provide creators with real control, transparency, and ensure that they can license their content and even use it as collateral to access funding. We have heard creators’ concerns, and we recognize the worry that artificial intelligence (AI) is an existential threat to livelihoods. However, there is no value without content. Therefore, as we think about formulating an artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, creatives will be at the core of it.
The value chains for the different creative industries are weakened by the inadequacy of proper and functioning infrastructure, such as production studios, theatres, cinemas, public libraries, art galleries, artist residency facilities, performance venues, co-workspaces & community halls.
Therefore, in the medium term, the Government plans to redevelop the National Theatre to increase its capacity and repurpose it as a national multipurpose hub for all the creative domains. In the long term, we plan to establish fully equipped regional multipurpose creative hubs, public libraries, and museums for young artists and practitioners through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
As already noted, the growth potential of the cultural and creative industries is huge, but the investments are often wrongly deemed too risky by the prospective financiers. Many creative start-ups struggle to scale up. The Government plans to make the necessary investments to enable the creative businesses to thrive and grow.
In conclusion, the government has pledged and is committed to working with the creators, development partners, the private sector, and Civil Society Organizations to create an enabling environment in which the creative industries can thrive, create jobs, and increase revenues.
I wish you fruitful deliberations and look forward to more innovative ideas from this forum and actionable recommendations on how we should take this drive for the creative industries forward.
HON. AMOS LUGOLOOBI, MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE, PLANNING, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (PLANNING AT THE 14TH NDP FORUM LAUNCH.