admin
Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent
The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation has announced a new fee structure for registration of artists, associations, promoters and institutions under the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) Act.
The new fee structure is pegged in United States dollars, but with an option to pay in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate in terms of the exchange control regulations as published by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
According to Statutory Instrument (SI) 46 0f 2023, initial registration fees for arts association and institutions are now pegged at US$250, while annual renewal fees are now US$150 and a duplicate certificate is now pegged at US$50.
Arts promoters are now required to pay an initial registration fee of US$650, an annual renewal fee of US$550 and US$50 to get duplicate certificates.
Venues, trusts and religious institutions are now required to pay a US$500 initial registration fee, US$400 annual renewal fee and US$50 to get duplicate certificates.
Arts groups are now required to pay US$50 initial registration fee, annual renewal and for duplicate certificates, while individual artists can pay a registration fee of US$20, with the same amount being paid for annual renewal and duplicate certificates.
Local show clearance is now pegged at U$$100, while promoters are required to fork out US$1 000 or five percent of the gate takings (whichever is greater) to host international acts.
Clearance of broadcasting, sound and musical equipment administration fee in now pegged 5% of the purchase price.
The old pricing structure had registration fees for promoters, venues and association paying US$1 860, US$560, and US$260 respectively.
Stakeholders in the arts sector are of the view that the fees are too high.
Veteran promoter Josh Hozheri, who also seats on the board of Music Promoters Association, said NACZ should have consulted art practitioners before coming up with the new fees.
“I feel the fees are high and they are beyond every other average promoter,” said Hozheri. “This will definitely bring in unregistered promoters and cause unnecessary problems in an industry still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Before planting figures, consultations should be done with promoters across the country from districts to provinces. An aspiring promoter from Chivhu will never realise his or her dream.”
In the previous years, artists were not registered as individuals.
Musician Sara Dee, who is part of a female musicians association, The Divas, said NACZ is being redundant in registering individual artists.
“We are registered already, how many times should we register? she said. “I am affiliated with 11 associations who are registered already, so why should I register as an individual again.”
Seasoned theatre practitioner, who is also the Executive Chairperson of Performing Arts Network for Empowerment Leadership in Zimbabwe (PANELZ), Tafadzwa Muzondo, said NACZ ignored various important factors when coming up with the fee structure.
“It might not be exorbitant for a promoter to pay US$650 annually if they are doing enough shows and for a venue to pay US$500 annually if they are getting enough audiences,” he said.
“My bone of contention is the combination of trusts and venues as they are sometimes two different things. Some trusts will find US$500 too much while for those trusts that do run venues, this might be affordable.
“Most trusts are not for profits organisations that promote arts development and I think they should be put under the associations and institutions category that will pay US$250.”
Muzondo said the new fee structure could lead to improved services from NACZ.
“For me, the take home is that the implementation of this SI might pave way for meaningful development of the sector when we have a legitimate expectation to get improved service from NACZ,” he said.
NACZ spokesperson Rodney Ruwende said the fees were meant to fund programmes within the arts sector.
“The new USD-denominated fees are meant to maintain value in the fees charged by the NACZ as the old rates had been eroded by the forex movements,” he said. “The fees are generally meant to fund NACZ programmes and sector development.
“The funds for the past few years have only contributed a small fraction to the NACZ budget, with the bulk of funding coming from treasury and partnership programmes.”
Ruwende encouraged players in the arts sector to comply with the new fees structure.
“The new rates can only contribute meaningfully if the sector complies,” he said. “This will enable NACZ to fund sector capacity-building programmes and revive some of its development programmes which had become moribund due to a lack of funding.”
Ruwende said the new fees will not affect those that had already registered and renewed their registration.
“At the moment, many associations and promoters have already renewed their registrations since November of last year,” he said. “The new fees will affect new registrations and late renewals, as they should have been done last year or at least in the first quarter.”
Ruwende said the new fee structure also responds to sector developments and requests.
“The registration of individual artists came from calls and presentations from the visual arts, literary arts, and spoken word practitioners who said they worked as individuals and needed to affiliate as such,” he said.
Online Reporter