The Executive–Secretary of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG), has pleaded with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene in the passage of the Advertising Bill that seeks to regulate the sector.
Francis Dadzie, who made the appealed, when the leadership of the AAG called on President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House Monday, 2nd October 2020, to introduce to him, the newly elected President of the International Advertising Association (IAA Global), Joel Nettey.
Efforts over the last 10 years by the AAG to get the bill passed by Parliament had been painstakingly slow.
That policy, according to AAG, would bring to the fore the challenges confronting the advertising industry, presents the impact of the challenges on the business community, highlights solutions and recommendations to the challenges, as well as provide specific action points.
According to Francis Dadzie, almost “every country has an advertising council that regulates the standards and practice of advertising” which includes the country’s neighbours—Nigeria and Togo— “but Ghana has been lacking.”
He said the Association in 2010, began to promote the Bill through the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Fortunately, in 2016, the AAG managed to get the Bill to go through the first reading in Parliament, however, the process was truncated.
“We started again but unfortunately as of now, we have been working with the Ministry of Trade but we have not been successful as at now to lay it before Parliament. We are hoping that going to next year, we will be able to achieve that, so we hope we can work at it quickly,” the AAG Boss said.
President Akufo-Addo who accepted to help in that regard said the issues put forward by AAG are very important and needed to be addressed as soon as possible.
The President tasked the Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten who was at the meeting to ensure that the legislative process is completed this time around.
President Akufo-Addo congratulated the newly elected, Ghanaian President of IAA Global, Joel Nettey, for making Ghana proud and wish him well in his work.
The Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG), also, at the ceremony conferred on President Akufo-Addo, an honorary member status.
IAA Global
The IAA is the world’s most influential network of marketing and marketing communications professionals. Established in 1938, the International Advertising Association over 80 years had played a strong role in supporting key industry issues such as freedom of commercial speech, self-regulation, responsible advertising, education and professional development.
The Association has over 4,000 individual and corporate members comprising marketing, advertising, media, IT communications and academics.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
