The debate on the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is missing a structural issue.
The bill introduces regulatory formalization without corresponding revenue infrastructure.
Music consumption in Uganda is widespread, but value capture remains weak, untracked, and inconsistently enforced.
This creates a compliance heavy framework in a low liquidity ecosystem.
In effect, the system improves the traceability of creators without improving the traceability of cash flows.
That expands regulatory visibility
without strengthening the industry’s cash conversion cycle.
You cannot formalize an industry economically before you fix how value is captured, tracked, and distributed.
In its current form, the system risks capturing participants more efficiently than it captures value.
