Cosoma for improved collections

Reprography has proved to be another potential area for collecting revenue by the Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) if findings in its 2014/2015 report are anything to go by.

According to the society, reprography is the reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means, such as photography or xerography.

In the period under review, 2014/2015, the society collected K18 million in reprography against a budget of K32 million.

While below budget, collections have significantly improved from K6 million in 2013/2014 to K18 million in the 2014/2015 period.

“We registered improved collections because the society intensified its efforts by starting to license public and private secondary schools in the country in addition to copy shops, universities and colleges that have always been licensed,” said Cosoma’s senior licensing officer Rosario Kamanga.

However, he said the major challenge in this area has been administrative costs which saw each school being licensed individually.

“Apart from the high administrative costs, the society has also noted that licensing of photocopying is a new phenomenon to many head teachers despite the circular from the ministry.

“As a result, there has been slow progress in making payments by other schools because there is still a challenge for them to accept the concept,” said Kamanga.

He added that experience with licensing reprography has shown that there is need for more sensitisation programmes targeting as many head teachers as possible.