Tax them yet provide no services. “Colonialism was better than this”.

Ghanaian politicians' penchant for new taxes is legendary. Their ingenuity in coming up with new taxes is matchless. Do you see the politicians' uncanny ability to conjure up new taxes in the budget every year? At independence, we had absolutely no national debt. The tax regimen was minimal at best. Now, just look at the list below: The so called tax poem, the Ghanaian equivalent.

Bank transaction tax
Building Permit Tax
Car license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Income Tax
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inventory Tax
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Social Security Tax
Telephone Excise Tax
Telephone Fee Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Value Added Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
National Health Insurance Tax
Import Duty
Export Duty
Airport Duty
So they
Tax his land,
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Tax his work,
Tax his pay, he works for peanuts anyway!
Tax his cocoa
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his clothing.
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his palm wine,
Tax his akpeteshie
Tax him if he tries to think.
Tax his beer,
If he cries, tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax his kpa kpa kpa
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
If he complains, call him a tribal bigot
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he's laid...
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me to my doom...'
When he's gone,
Do not relax,
It's time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Yet, the President of Ghana pays no taxes
And Ghanaians have nothing to show for all these taxes!

I've been wondering what has taken them that long to levy a tax for the very air we breathe.
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? No wonder a placard of striking Tanzanian students during the era of Nyerere read 'COLONIALISM WAS BETTER THAN THIS'. Have we reached that point yet? What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'POLITICIANS?

The original tax poem is presumed to be in the public domain no copyright or credit information can be found.

Baffour Ennin, Washington, DC.

Follow me on Twitter: @baffourennin