A marketing consultant and business strategist is pushing against the establishment of a creative arts ministry.

According to Jesse Agyepong such a ministry without “proper structural layers is bound to fail” as it cannot stand on its own.

His comments come on the back of calls by some industry persons, who argue that the only way to give the arts its deserving prominence and attention is to have a ministry solely dedicated to its affairs.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their 2020 manifesto promised to “establish a Ministry responsible for the Creative Arts and Digital Economy” should they be given the nod come December 7.

However, Jesse Agyepong speaking to George Quaye on Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z said, “If you form a Creative Arts Ministry without adding some layers to it, it will fail. Government work is a very complex one and getting money from government is not easy.

"The kind of lobbying you must go through in dealing with government is not an easy one. Therefore, if you set up a Creative Arts Ministry on its own, what will be the affiliating ministries they would work with?

"They’ll have to go back to the Tourism Ministry for affiliation because they’ll have to work with them. Then they’ll need to go and deal with the Trade Ministry and that will make the process a bit complex," he said.

He advised the NDC not to take itself through such a process so those in the industry should be sensitised to "understand that government job is not an emotional one.”

He also suggested how industry people can make good use of the Tourism Ministry to their benefit.

“The ministry is now called Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture, change that to Ministry of Creative Arts, Tourism and Culture. Change the focus of the ministry; let 60% of their energies be focused on the creative arts.

"Also, find a minister who predominantly understands the future; because creative arts is The future. Tourism is the past that we’re carrying forward, culture is reminding the world of what we use to be, the future is creative arts.”