Mwakyembe praises TAFF, CogsNet contract on database

MINISTER for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Harrison Mwakyembe has praised a contract between Tanzania Film Federation (TAFF) and CogsNet Technologies, saying the commercial online data base to be created will deter middlemen and afford film producers and actors to benefit more from their work.


Speaking shortly after witnessing a signing ceremony at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the minister said days are numbered for the middlemen, who used to benefit hugely from the works of film actors and producers.

According to the minister, the contract that was signed makes the work and services of the producers be available online and affords them opportunity to bargain directly when it comes to selling their works or services.

“I am quite impressed that we have reached an extra height. Producers and actors who produce such quality works need a more dignified facelift instead of languishing in poverty,” he said.

Speaking in a jovial mood, minister Mwakyembe said creation of online data base for filmmakers and actors will fulfil his long time dream to see local producers and actors benefit from their sweat, instead of the previous practice in which, middlemen were taking the lion share of the benefit.

Earlier, the Operations Director of CogsNet Technologies, Nkundwe Mwasaga, said his organisation has a dream to ensure that the filming industry assumes its rightful place in terms of raising the standard of the film producers and actors and raising the contribution in terms of revenue to the government.

“We hope that in the period of one year, more than 500,000 local film actors and producers will be already in the data base,” Mwasaga, an ICT engineer noted.

He said in order to supplement the government efforts towards industrialization, his organisation will assist film actors and producers in more than 20 regions, to build low-cost film making studio and run out a national campaign for their work to be in the data base.

On his part, the TAFF President, Simon Mwakifwamba, said he was pleased that the pact signed is going to have more impact to the producers and film stars, most of whom attended to witness the event.

“The signing ceremony opened a new chapter in the filming industry with a view to mainstream the filming industry,” said Mwakifwamba.

He called upon all actors and film producers to ensure that they are enlisted in the data base, saying the move was meant to deter the middlemen who have been bargaining on behalf of them and in the process siphoned all the profit rendering them without any economic base.

The signing ceremony was also attended by the Executive Secretary of Tanzania Filming Board, Director of Arts in the ministry, Leah Kihimbi and more than 15 film producers and actors