The Senators of the Transition adopting by show of hands the two draft ordinances relating to copyright and the status of the artist. © Com. Ministry of Culture and Arts
After several hearings with the Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and the Arts, Dr. André Jacques Augand, first in the National Assembly then in the Transitional Senate, the draft order modifying and supplementing certain provisions of Law No. 016/2023 of August 8, 2023 on the status of the artist and cultural actor and Ordinance No. 0011/PR/2024 of 02/26/2024 on the protection of copyright and neighboring rights in the Gabonese Republic, were adopted unanimously on June 24 by the venerable senators. Once applied, these laws will give more meaning to careers and life as an artist in Gabon.
The Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and the Arts, Dr. André Jacques Augand, was interviewed by the Committee on Health, Education, Cultural Affairs and Communication of the Senate of the Transition. It was a question of explaining the draft laws ratifying the draft ordinance modifying and supplementing certain provisions of Law No. 016/2023 of August 8, 2023 on the status of the artist and the cultural actor in the Republic Gabonese Republic, and Ordinance No. 0011/PR/2024 of 02/26/2024 protecting copyright and related rights in the Gabonese Republic. At the end of these negotiations, the two texts were validated. Objective: to give back to the artist as well as the cultural actor the value and respect they deserve.
In the Senate, after presentation in plenary session of the reports of the examination on the merits of the two orders brought by the Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and the Arts, the draft orders were adopted unanimously by the venerable Senators.
At the Ministry of Culture and Arts, it is announced that “these texts, adopted in identical terms at the level of the two houses of parliament, will give back to the artist as well as to the cultural actor the value and respect that they deserve”.
In this sense, explain sources from this ministerial department, these texts will make it possible, for example, to have a directory of artists and cultural actors in the Gabonese Republic in order to facilitate access for artists and cultural actors to the modalities which will be implemented. work, from the future application of these legal texts.
“Artists and cultural actors will thus be able to benefit from several advantages such as access to a professional card upon registration with a collective management body; a service passport; rights based on their cultural activities and the income generated by their works,” it says.
Note that the venerable senators also inserted and adopted in the bill ratifying the ordinance creating the Company for the Construction and Rehabilitation of Public Establishments, an amendment obligatorily reserving a share of the contracts on the construction and the rehabilitation of public establishments and for public use, their decoration by national artists and craftsmen.
At this level, on both sides, we are talking about “a real revolution which is looming in the artistic and cultural sector with the legal and social, economic and fiscal consequences linked to the adoption of the two texts of law".
This will be a real public recognition of artists and cultural actors, as desired by the highest authorities of the country, headed by the President of the Transition, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who constantly encourage and honor artists and cultural actors for their involvement in the development of the country.
By Désiré-Clitandre Dzonteu
Gabon Review (GABON)
