Correct These Anomalies

A nation is built by the engagement of thinking minds and not by the wielding of certificate. Many nations that have progress both infrastructural and human development have done so by engaging the best of brains in the Public Sector to develop and shape policies aimed at driving the developmental agenda of that nation.

As a nation, we can get our developmental paradigm right only if we get the philosophy underpinning our development agenda right. Unfortunately, the private sector for many years has been touted as the engine of growth. May I submit in this piece that the private sector is not, cannot and will never be the engine of growth. Indeed, the results are here for all to see.

The private sector do not care polluting your water bodies just to make money, the private sector can desecrate the forest cover and turn your flourished land into a desert. At least, we have witnessed how terribly our water-bodies and forest plantations have been polluted and raised down respectively by “galamsey” activities operating in the private sector.

For any nation including Ghana to get her developmental paradigm right, she has to shift the engine of growth from the private sector to the public sector. It is important to note that, the developmental agenda is fashioned and given the needed impetus of growth by the public sector and not the private sector because no nation can thrive without the public sector however, many examples abound where nations have developed without the engagement of the private sector, talk of China, Cuba, Russia, etc.

The public sector is the life-giving force (spirit) of every nation. And this force or the spirit of the nation is propelled by morality, integrity and patriotism. These are the guiding principles by which a country can engineer true growth and prosperity for her citizens. Hence without these principles firmly anchored by actors in the public sector, the private sector can only exploit the system and erode the gains and confidence of the people.

Unfortunately in Ghana and many other African countries, the public sector is weakened by extreme politicization to the extent that the sector which is supposed to police the private sector by way of monitoring and demanding standardization from the latter have rather become the citadel of corruption and wanton dissipation of the tax payers money. Public officers demand bribes before they perform duties for which they have been employed and paid by the tax payer to do. Those who cannot gather the courage to ask for bribe will intentionally frustrate you until you “catch the message” and offer a bribe yourself. Suddenly, the file which hitherto was reported missing will magically surfaced for action to be taken. What a shame.

According to the Ministry of Finance, only about 1.2 million entities are paying tax out of an estimated 6 million, making it just over 20% tax coverage. Compare this to the well developed countries in Europe and Asia where the tax coverage is well over 90%. Infact, the government of Singapore is said to have given back monies to her citizens because they have collected more money by way of tax than projected. The question is, why such a huge gap between the well-structured societies and countries like Ghana. It is obvious they are doing some things right whiles we are doing exactly the opposite.

Over the entire existence of Ghana, the nation has run an unfair, anti-clockwise and very greedy tax system where the majority poor wage earner and the vulnerably marginalized, is tasked to pay more by way of taxes to fuel the ostentatious and luxurious life of some government appointees who by comparison earn huge sums of money by way of salaries. It is most unfortunate, unfair and very sinful to cause the petty trader, the physically disabled by the roadside earning less than a thousand cedis per month, pay for the bungalow, utility bills, house maids, fuel consumption, travel allowance and per-diems of government appointees who are earning at least ten thousand cedis as monthly salary, coupled with all manner of benefits at the expense of the vulnerable in society.

This system is unacceptable and should be discontinued with immediate effect if we truly want to develop holistically instead of this kwashiorkor system which breeds more youth unemployment and armed/cyber robbers by the day.

The final critical point to consider has to do with the heavily politicization of both the public sector and the civil service. Comparatively, Ghana’s public sector are among the most educated in Africa and yet, their output does not commensurate their level of education. The over politicization of the public sector has rendered hitherto, brilliant and highly qualified personnel functionless.

For example, whereas the hierarchy of the Police Service are unable to take decisive action against politicians and political activists who infringe on the law with derision for fear of political victimization, Officials of Ghana Revenue Authority are unable to clamp down on some businesses that do not honor their tax obligations because of its political connection. Other agencies like Ghana Water Company, Electricity Company of Ghana, etc. have been saddled with debt and rendered toothless as a result of political intrusion.

The Solution
Education:
Back then in school, we studied a subject like Civic Education, which enlightened us about patriotism and certain basic knowledge about Ghana and how to function as a Ghanaian. Unfortunately, such an important course was struck out of our education system by some so-called experts.

In Singapore for example, they have initiated a subject called Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) which is imparted at the first three levels of their education system from primary through secondary to pre-university stages. The core values of this subject are; Care, Responsibility, Resilience, Harmony, Respect and Integrity.

It is therefore important for Ghana to curriculum important subject like Civic Education with modules like; tax system, environmental/sanitation responsibility and patriotism and entrepreneurship right from the primary level of education. With such educational system enforce, it will revolutionize the developmental paradigm of the country given ten years from now.

Introduce Fair Tax System:
Let government officials and appointees who earn comparatively more also pay for what they enjoy. Let the appointees pay for their accommodation and utilities, just as any Civil Servant do. When government appointees begin to pay for what they consume, wastage will be drastically minimized because they will not leave their air-conditioner and lights switched on the whole day. Let state owned offices assume responsibility for their electricity and water bills in order to prevent them from leaving fans and air-conditioner on over the weekend.

If we begin to implement these measures, government will inevitably save huge sums of money and will therefore need not burden the poor disabled shoe repairer with additional tax on commodities which will further deteriorate his condition. Moreover, the citizens will be more patriotic in honoring their tax obligations if they know that government appointees are not enjoying the aforementioned things at the expense of their meager income.

It is highly hypocritical and very sinful for some appointees of government who earn huge salaries compared to other categories of Ghanaian workers to evade tax by operating offshore accounts whiles others under-declare and yet turn around to demand tax from the citizenry.

Depoliticize the Public Sector:
The fear of removal from office has rendered officers of state kowtow to the whims and caprices of political actors, hence security of tenure should be provided for all heads of the security forces in Ghana including the Police and the Military.

In conclusion, I am calling on the civil service to be bold, professional and resist the undue pressures exerted on them by political appointees to act in variance of the law by which they operate.

May God bless our nation Ghana and make us great and strong.

By: Bishop Nathaniel Rudolph
Director, Public Sector Engagement
College of Bishops and Deans
Email: [MG] [email protected]