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Mon, 22 Jul 2024 Feature Article

Corrupt Food Vendors to emulate the Godly acts by Tasty Queen Restaurant, Star Junction Kumasi

Corrupt Food Vendors to emulate the Godly acts by Tasty Queen Restaurant, Star Junction Kumasi

Corruption in General
To most of us, any time we hear of corruption we think that it is a vice committed only by a person in organization or with political authority hence by some Politicians or Judges/Court Officials, or Government or Corporate Officials. Thus failing to appreciate that corruption takes many forms and is associated with different types of behaviour and so it is also perpetuated in private life including Pastors or by private people whether in business or not in business as well example somebody jumping a queue. .

Consequently, corruption can be categorized as political corruption, social or cultural corruption, economic or financial corruption etc hence corruption is a bane of National Development and we must therefore fight against it effectively, hence the Bogobiri (the fighting spirit) take on the subject.

Corruption is misunderstood like the word Arrogance which is misunderstood in this Country. Corruption as stated above is in different forms. , So in order to gain massive support for fighting the vices of corruption with a fighting spirit (Bogobiri), please pardon me to give better clarification on corruption by defining it and so as to provide some elaborations on it for us to understand the forms of it or the related issues and how some of us unknowingly are promoting it.

A clear understanding of the term corruption is very important, so that we can take all sort of measures as Constitutionally/legally provided otherwise Religiously, Psychologically or by Sunshine methods by the Media and Faith Based Institutions (churches, Mosques, Shrines etc) for us to win the fight against this menace which is rearing its ugly head in the cooked food industry which this submission wish to put ‘sunshine’ on it in order to ensure public good..

Corruption is simply defined as a vice or acts of badness, dishonesty, cheating, profiteering or maximizing profit/creating artificial shortage for exploitation (Kalabule) immorality, depravity, bribery, fraud,. Lying, scam etc.

Ghana has Constitutional Bodies like Parliament especially the Public Accounts Committee, the Police, CHARJ, Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Minerals Commission, Bank of Ghana etc and Statutory Bodies like NIB (formerly BNI), Serious Fraud Office, Nation Pension Regulatory Authority, Public Procurement Authority, Internal Audit Service etc for dealing with the crimes of Corruption and thievery.

The above definition demo why Corruption is endmic in Ghana and will continue to be endemic in Ghana till the end of the World because it is ingrained in our society, others may say in our DNA. As such nothing can be done about it notwithstanding our silly habit of adding cost to cost and by that way we had additionally set up the superfluous parallel Agencies termed as the Office of Special Prosecutor to combat mainly corruption and corrupt related matters. This is so, notwithstanding the fact that we have very good laws (problem of enforcement) and the numerous anti-corrupt agencies to deal with it and other crimes. Also despite that we have supporting elements like the Media and Religious Bodies available to the State for checking and admonishing all sort of vices. It did not remain pervasive but also increasing.

Corruption in Ghana is endmic because it is our way of life, hence the Ghanaian is said to be a magician so he or she is jumping queues or in fraudulent acts, cheating, act of immorality etc this even serious in marriages . So corruption is multifaceted since it is related to our economic conditions, culture/social and political settings. Hence, corruption is therefore an aspect of the Ghanaian way of life (politics). Thus making our laws and the Institutions for combating corruption and other crime ineffective or afraid to act swiftly and appropriately.

Let me give a classical example with the Banking Sector crisis to demo that Corruption is a Ghanaian way of life. By the Constitution of Ghana and the laws of Ghana especially Bank of Ghana Act 612 of 2002, the Bank of Ghana is accorded independences as follows, Operational and Decision Making Independence, Financial Independence, Regulatory Independence of Bank of Ghana (BOG), among others. So in 2018 in order to prevent the collapse of the Banking Sector as required by both the Constitution of Ghana and the laws of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison the Governor of Bank of Ghana did a very good job Constitutionally and Legally invoked the laws of Ghana and revoked the Banking Licenses of some Banks and Financial Institutions in order to deal with breaches of the law on matters of Corruption or fraudulent acts in the Banking Sector, as detected by the Bank since 2015 or between 2015 and 2019.

Until 2017, the former Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr Henry Kofi Wampah whose regime between 2015 and 2016 saw most of the decay in the Banking Sector (as reflect in the Asset Quality Review Report) was powerless to deal frontally with corrupt acts in the Banking Sector because there was no credible law like the Bank and Deposit Taking Institutions Act 2016 (Act 930) as enacted by Parliament in 2016 to deal with the vices in the Banking Sector. So by the good work of the regime of former President Mahama, the Governor Dr Addison regime effective 2017, was duly empowered by the Parliament of 2016 with the Bank and Deposit Taking Institutions Act 2016 (Act 930) to act with alacrity and appropriately. But I must put on record that his action against Heritage Bank owned Alhaji Seidu Agongo was whimsical.

It is therefore very strange that the Regime of His Excellency former President JD Mahama and the Hon Members of the Seventh Parliament or those who enacted the very law of Act 930 instead of taking credit for it for a good law for public good so the Bank of Ghana can fight against corruption are rather blaming Governor Dr Ernest Addison for dutifully applied the law enacted by them or Parliament in 2016 to bring sanity in the Banking Sector, in order to prevent the collapse of the Banking Sector among others to restore confidence in the Banking Sector, so that the Cecilia Dapaahs in the system can put their monies in the Bank system and not in their bedrooms. This speaks volumes of the idiom corruption will fight back or is endemic in Ghana or their Ghanaian politicians are hypocrites and dishonest persons.

So those Presidential Hopefuls who spoke of or are speaking of giving back the Banking Licences to some of the owners of the Banks which Ghanaian Courts of Competent Jurisdiction have upheld the action of Bank of Ghana must burry their heads in shame otherwise be educated that Bank of Ghana acted both constitutionally and legally especially by enforcing Bank of Ghana Act 2006 (Act 723) in case of GN Bank and Bank and Deposit Taking Institutions Act 2016 (Act 930) this law affected all the 9 Banks and GN Savings and Loans ( previously GN Bank).

Corruption in the Food Industry
The cost of cooked food should be determined by among others the cost of the inputs, cost of the preparation, and cost of selling the food hence labour cost inclusive to be combined as recovery cost to this a profit margin is added.

Most of the food vendors in Ghana transact their business in Kiosks or table tops and as such they do not so in brick and mortar facilities. Furthermore, most of the food vendors do not provide seats and table for the comfort of their patrons or customers, they do not employ additional hands and they do operate without a payment of a tax (PAYE, VAT etc.).

Shockingly, they sell rice in take away or takeout containers at higher than some Restaurants or same prices as at some Restaurants which are tax compliance and which operate with necessary infrastructure (dining hall with toilet or washrooms, chairs and tables, Fan or AC etc) and TV with a Decoder for entertainment etc. Some of the Restaurant also have employees and IT Teller machine(s) for issuance of VAT receipts by operators.

An example of an identified Godly Restaurant in Kumasi which prompted this submission is TASTY QUEEN RESTAURANT, near Star Junction Kumasi by the Santasi main road and near to Opoku Ware SHS Kumasi. It operates with over ten employees including security element in a very beautiful brick and mortar facilities including kitchen, selling hall or sales room and dining hall with AC/fan, furniture (tables, chairs etc.), two teller machines for the issuance of VAT receipts, TV and Decoder and good lighting system for both inside and outside which covers a car park. Staff made to act with a code of discipline including personal neatness, neatness of the environment and no use of telephone.

Notwithstanding the associated huge fixed operating/ overhead cost which include cost of power for cooling the area and renting of the site etc, the owner of Tasty Queen Restaurant act transparently and accountably with a pasted price list on the walls for the customers to make choices of the rice (jollof rice, fried rice, and plain rice) and sells the rice in very good take away or takeout containers with the price ranges from a minimum of GHC20.00 to GHC35 including VAT with receipt issued to the customer..

So, it is shocking to note that a take away meal of rice at a minimum of GHC20.00 with VAT inclusive and of the same quantity and quality is sold at GHC30.00 without VAT element by food vendors in Kiosks or table tops at the road side and no employment of additional hands or security and no tables and seats provided etc. Thus the food Vendors do make savings from not provided sophisticated infrastructure, no table cloth, no cleaning etc and no cost of power for cooling the place.

The above assertions therefore speaks volumes of the acts of corruption by food vendors especially those who sell cooked rice. It has also been found that morning and evening Koko sellers at Agric junction lorry station and Odeneho Kwadaso in Kumasi both near New Mission Academy sell Koko with sugar at a minimum price of Two Ghana Cedis (GHC2.00) which is of the same quantity and quality of Koko being sold at GHC3.00 elsewhere in Kumasi.

The godly acts of the Caterers of the School Feeding Program thus comes into focus. It is alleged that they are paid GHC1.50 per meal per pupil and out of this amount a tax element is deducted to leave a balance of Ghc1.38 per meal per pupil and the patriotic Caterers cooked meals for the pupil and were very happy that they was a profit margin to gain from the GHC1.38 per meal per pupil, notwithstanding that payment was sometimes three months in arrears. How the Caterers of the School Feed Program are able to perform wonders with this very low feeding or capitation grant per meal per child should be an eye opener to tell that some food vendors in Ghana are cheaters.

So, Tasty Queen Restaurant, Star Junction Kumasi, the Koko Sellers at Agric Junction etc, the Caterers of the School Feeding Programme have exposed the hypocrisy and dishonesty (Kalabule) in the Country by the operators of business houses or traders especially some food vendors.

The owner of Tasty Queen Restaurant, Star Junction Kumasi and others like her, the early morning and evening Koko Seller at Agric Station and the Caterers of the School Feeding Program need to be applauded for their good work for public good by the Media (hence herein by the website of Modern Ghana) our leaders especially Chiefs, Politicians (especially the DCE or MCE of the areas) Pastors and Imams. Whilst the Cheaters should be admonished to be godly in their businesses for public good or interest for their customers. So, this submission should also be of interest to Imams and Pastors when administering the Words of God/Allah since most of the operators are part of their members.

Ghana runs a free market economy so with forces that should determine the prices but need to Show good faith to the clienteles or the consuming public cannot be overemphasized.

So, let me echo that the shining examples of the Operators of Tasty Queen Star Junction Kumasi and the Caterers of the School Feeding Program need to be proclaimed by Pastors and Imams any time they are with their congregants and they should also speak against the cheaters in the society to amend their bad deeds of profiteering or always trying to take advantage of the current economic situations.

Some of the Food vendors should take mental note that some of their Customers may be looking for food to feed a child, so maintaining one takeout or take away meal at a fixed very high price of GHC30 or more without tax and other cost is not advisable. Since they sell a huge take away container or huge bowl of rice for a lot of money failing to note that a customer may be buying for a baby or a child that is may be some customers want not much food as provided thus they go beyond eating much rice meal otherwise waste it by throwing the surplus into the dustbin despite that it is still just rice. So they should adopt the price ranges of take away with a minimum price for a child or a baby.as done by Tasty Queen Restaurant, Star Junction.

They must appreciate that good customer service including making sure the customers get exactly what they always want. So honesty and Integrity should be part of their work and do away with the forces of greed and exploitation which is the order of the day.

The strategy is good customer care and increase in the volume of production at a reduce or reasonable price to capture a lot of customers and sustain them to help expand and to upscale the business to meet the various Customers.

Major Mohammed Bogobiri (rtd)
Major Mohammed Bogobiri (rtd), © 2024

This Author has published 141 articles on modernghana.comColumn: Major Mohammed Bogobiri (rtd)

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