The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has launched a digital payments systems of collecting licensing fees for Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) to discourage cash payments which has been encouraging looting at the Collection Management Organizations (CMOs).
“The new digital payment platform is accessible either through the web portal www.kpmlicensing.co.ke or via USSD Code *553#,” the public notice from KECOBO said in part.
An audit completed recently shows that money collected by the three organizations ended up in pockets of individuals.
The audit uncovered major incidences of corruption and looting in the CMOs, mistly through diversion of royalties.
Poor Corporate Governance and separation of roles, suspected fraudulent transactions, poor record keeping and non-compliance with statutory requirements were also among those issue that the audit uncovered.
KECOBO stated last week that the file will be handed over to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after ‘responses received from the three CMOs were not sufficient to change the findings of the earlier Draft Forensic Report’.
Below is the full statement from Kecobo
PUBLIC NOTICE
DIGITAL ISSUANCE OF LICENSES BY MUSIC COPYRIGHT SOCIETY OF KENYA (MCSK) KENYA ASSOCIATION OF MUSIC PRODUCERS (KAMP) AND PERFORMERS RIGHTS SOCIETY OF KENYA (PRISK) LAUNCHED.
The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) wishes to notify users of music and dramatic works in public business premises and the public at large of the unveiling of a digital system of issuance of licenses by the three CMOs licensed by KECOBO to collect royalties.
The digital royalty collection system jointly developed by the three CMOs namely Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) and Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) is intended to better account for royalties collected, distributed or expended by the societies.
The new digital payment platform is accessible either through the web portal www.kpmlicensing.co.ke or via USSD Code *553#.
The self-licensing systern is linked to the relevant sector tariff as well as National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Business Registration Service (BRS) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) databases for ease of transaction. The system accepts payments by institutional cheque, bank transfer (Pesalink, EFT and RTGS) and Mpesa mobile money.
The systern prompts a user to create an account and all deposits go to an authorized joint account at NCBA Bank.
KECOBO therefore wishes to warn members of the business comrnunity against making any further payment out of the joint digital framework as NO CASH PAYMENTS SHALL BE ACCEPTED HENCEFORTH.
The licensing and supervision of the activities of Collective Management Organizations is one of the statutory mandates of Kenya Copyright Board (KECOB0).
Issued by:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
KENYA COPYRIGHT BOARD
29 September 2020
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