The assenting of the Natioal Arts and Heritage Council (Nahec Bill) by President Lazarus Chakwera has brought hope within the creative industry.
Nahec Bill task force chairperson Maxwell Chiphinga said the assenting of the Bill is a dream come true to creative and culture sectors.
“Having the legal framework in place is a major leap. The establishment of the Council will create room for the establishment of the National Arts and Heritage Fund which will go a long way in the development of industries,” he said.
Chiphinga said they hope that the Arts Council will be constituted in time.
Presidential special adviser on creative industries Q Malewezi said by assenting to the Bill, the President has shown unprecedented support for Malawi’s arts and culture and recognise their power to drive growth, preserve heritage and inspire national pride.
“This is a historic moment signaling that creativity and culture are central to our future. It is a bold step towards empowering local talent and putting Malawi’s creative industries on the global map,” said Malewezi.
He said the Bill will align with its vision through a clear structure, with the Council overseeing the strategy with the executive secretariat managing daily operations while specialised committees will focus on key areas to ensure that the goals are met.
Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture director of arts Humphrey Mpondaminga said the construction of the Arts Council is waiting for processes such as disseminating the Act to all stakeholders and funding from treasury.
“We can appoint the board, but the critical aspect is funding. Lucky enough, we have been engaging the Treasury throughout and they know the need to fund the project,” he said.
The creative industry had described it as key to unlocking the sector’s potential and spasector growth and facilitate the long-awaited Arts Council.
Some of the key provisions stipulated in Section 27 Subsection One indicate that any developer of a construction project to be used by the public, including tourism units, shall commit one percent of the project cost to commissioning of visual arts and cultural products as interior decorations within the premises.
Subsection Two says the visual art and cultural product under subsection 1 shall be sourced from Malawian artists and artisans.
Further, the minister shall, by notice published in the gazette, prescribe scale of percentage of the construction cost committed to visual arts and cultural products under subsection one.
Section 28 states that a local government authority shall, in its land development plan, designate land within its jurisdiction for development of infrastructure for the creative and heritage industry.
Other key provisions include the introduction of levies on selected products to support the development of creative industries, regulation of events in the creative and heritage industry and registration of persons in the creative and heritage industry.
