'Advertising Council Bill wii eliminate quack practitioners'
The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) is urging prompt action on the proposed Advertising Council Bill to enable it regulate the industry better.
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The association said a lot of work had gone into the document with the help of experts and legal consultants to ensure that it met the standards and expressed the hope that work on its passage would be expedited.
The President of the association, Mrs Norkor Duah, made the call at the 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association in Accra on Thursday.
“When passed into law, certainly the industry will be saved from the unprofessional practitioners who indulge in unethical practices that tarnish the image of the industry”, she said.
Mrs Duah said besides that, more dignity and well-structured remuneration levels would emerge, as the playing field would have rules for engaging clients as well as avoid overlaps with regard to media buying and campaign content.
“Clearly industry, comprising categories of individuals as well as corporate members and, of course, all stakeholders need to be well regulated to ensure discipline, sanity and growth”, she said.
The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, who was the Guest Speaker for the function, challenged the association to strive to have the bill on the council passed.
According to him, the industry needed to be guided by regulations that would ensure sanity in the system and also give clients value for money.
Contribution to assemblies
Mrs Duah said the association made substantial contribution to the finances of the various assemblies in the country.
For instance, the Accra Metropolitan Authority had a total of GH¢430,058.00 for the year 2012, while the la Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly signed a contract to start work with the association.
The Tema Municipal Assembly raked in GH¢228,940.47, representing 4.21 per cent increase over the GH¢219,203.00 it obtained in 2011.
An amount of GH¢98,760.00 was obtained by the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly, while the Ashiaman Municipal Assembly got GH¢69,747.00.
Revenue Generation
The AAG President reminded members of their financial obligation to the association to enable it assert itself more in the country and beyond.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that professional bodies exist and thrive on membership dues as revenue for their business activities; it is a vital resource of growth and development”, Mrs Norkor Duah said.
The dues paid by members, she said, were low and inadequate and got members to endorse an increase in the dues charged through a resolution tabled at the AGM.
She said to enable members get more value from the dues they paid, “we should ensure that more benefits are derived from the payment of dues; that is, members should get value for their money.
Mrs Duah said beyond the commission from the assemblies, there was the need for the association to generate funds for its operations, including the proposed offices of the association which was expected to cost a huge sum of money.
By Charles Benoni Okine/Ghana