The Mirror

 

If Charles Dickens were here and he considered a world ravaged by a pandemic, a compounded global aggravation due to a war launched by a narcissistic personality determined to prove his superiority complex, regardless of who gets hurt, thereby, raising the avalanche of humanitarian crises amidst global warming, migration, increasing poverty and hunger, he would definitely label our days hard times. However, if he aptly summed the mentality of many Ghanaians determined to reap where they had not sown, always expecting freebies from government, upholding a chronic stance of dependency, he would brand our days embarrassing times.

The Executives and Finance Minister ought to pat themselves on the shoulder for compelling Ghanaians to confront our inner selves. The E-Levy concept has become a mirror which has forcefully thrown back at Ghanaians their true substance. It has been insightful, sometimes sadly humorous, observing the reactions of politicians, academicians, advocacy groups and ordinary Ghanaians through the tax debate. The psyche emerged cherishes dependency and floors dignity.

My mathematics has never been strong, but I could hold my own in logic and general knowledge whilst in school. Therefore, I know that governments maximize taxes from endeavours highly patronized by the populace. Even the argument of the proposed rate being on the higher side was frail because taxation is not arbitrary. Earnings and expenditure –financial obligations – determine payment and/or benefits of exemption. Taxing per earnings cushions citizens in low-income brackets.

Of course, a National Identification system would enable the National Revenue Agency (GRA) to track residents’ financial standing, but the National Identification Authority (NIA) totters, digitization notwithstanding. Consequently, the GRA cannot faithfully widen the tax bracket for fair assessment and taxation. If government had cracked the whip and made the NIA worked assiduously to complete the identification process before the bill was introduced, it might have yielded a desirable transparency, smoothening the process. The image that emerges in the mirror does not flatter the Executive.

Parliament, especially, the opposition had a legitimate duty to debate the bill for equity and fairness. The strange aspect was the opposition’s rejection of an inevitable tax bill. If the current government had not introduced the bill, a future government would have due to the increasing patronage of electronic transactions, potentially reducing banks’ businesses. If government does not tax that line of service, how would it recover slipping revenue? If I fathomed that, then the opposition definitely was savvy, so the rejection threw me. Even so, it was hugely interesting to watch the shifting positions of rejection, stakeholder engagement, rate reduction.

The opposition’s argument of protecting the masses was the most controversial, if not downright cynical. The most effective way to defend the masses would have been to plug the corporate exploitative holes to give ordinary Ghanaians value for money. Communication Service Providers might easily top the list of corporate exploitation in the country. However, the extent of exploitation is a conversation for another day. Sadly, Parliament squandered a huge opportunity in tightening regulations to ensure quality communications service to citizens. Consequently, the image of the opposition law makers in the mirror is equally unflattering.

Ghanaian academicians can prove a hindrance to progress when giving recommendations to government. With tongue in check, one academician implored Ghanaian to accept the bill in order to save the economy. He also advocated a check and balance: A commission which would oversee the total revenue per a tax season and pragmatic utilization of the funds. That recommendation really flipped me upside down! Knowing the stupendous amounts that constitutes allowances for commissions and national committees in Ghana, if government accepted that recommendation, the commission’s allowances would suck whatever revenue would emanate from the levy, negating the initiative. That was the most unflattering image in the mirror, the academician.

The cacophony of massed voices yielded a horrifying hydra-headed image of dependency mentality, overshadowing a glowing image of diligent ones who put nation first, protect resources and pay tax to support the economy. Ironically, that marginal group keeps the national boat afloat. Each one of us must conscientiously search the soul to align self with the appropriate image for refinement.

Yet Another Season of Strikes

 

Advocates of the lame defence that the only language governments of Ghana understand is strike miss the reality that a strike could also represent workers’ simplistic way of securing a financial objective. There is some validity in the argument that Ghanaian politicians receive extremely high salaries, whilst the ordinary worker shouldering the economy is tossed a meagre salary, hence, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Indeed, one cannot defend the reality that an economy that struggles constantly also supports some exorbitant wages. Non-politicians also enjoy mind-blowing salaries. Sadly, some public organizations, struggling to fulfil their core mandate, would defend high salaries, even fulfil extravagant service conditions, diverting limited funds from where it belongs, then compromise and/or neglect primary service.

Paying taxes is a civic responsibility, but since we are in the strike season, perhaps those of us in the small bracket of the country’s taxpayers should also embark on a strike to protest the unfairness of shouldering more than our fair share of Ghana’s financial burden for many a cheat who earn and pocket entire income for extravagance. Ironically, the penultimate group understands that governance is hinged on taxation. Without ordinary people’s taxes, governments will not be able to provide services, so we earn and pay our taxes – low or high.  

I have scanty knowledge about determining wages and salaries, but my gumption tells me that certain perilous jobs attract higher remuneration – not that any amount can compensate loss of life. Some services are lifesaving so performers must be motivated to prioritize public life, not short-change society. Organizations consider current living conditions and remunerate commensurately. Some jobs come with multifarious roles, so duties and associated stress guide remuneration. The fact remains that every line of service contributes to the overall development of a nation. To wit, determining wages/salaries is a painful, complex antagonistic task; little wonder that there is constant dissent. It is humanly impossible to satisfy all employees at all times, strength of economy notwithstanding.

Workers’ strike has become a channel, sometimes, utilized by Unions in Ghana to circumvent constructive dialogue and realistic negotiations, effectively clouding current reality. It is increasingly a weapon for legitimizing the appalling spirit of entitlement rising among contemporary Ghanaians. The spate of strikes is alarming because service provision does not improve with wage/salary augmentation. Service continues to slip. All sectors are lamenting the high cost of living and increased taxes, but equal attention is not given to low productivity.

That strikes/protests have become an escape route for some rhetoricians might be deduced from some protests staged to counter initiatives with potential for strengthening the autonomy. Sometimes, the counter advocacy makes one shudder for the future leadership such represents. Subjectivity effectively stamps out the environment for critical analysis of wage/salary negotiations, the most frightening being the silence on long-term implications.

The entire world is besieged by overwhelming challenges, some camouflaging cataclysmic shrouds: Climate Change threatens existence, COVID-19 pandemic keeps nations on tenterhooks, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has deepened global troubled waters. Such occur amidst rising unemployment, porous skills of graduates, deepening poverty, food security threats and alarming crime rate in Ghana, to mention these.

Yet, one hears about increase in wages/salaries only, in a country which paid public sector workers full salary during COVID-19 lockdown. The stock-cushion for increment without the commensurate productivity is rapidly eroding due to exponential population growth, rising illiteracy rate, porous skills which culminate in low, and/or cheap productivity, which thus compromise industry’s global competitiveness. For how long can a frail economy support such liabilities? But many Ghanaians will sing, pray, play the blame game and go on strike, rather than critically analyse actions and consequences.

It is time Unions targeted high productivity for fair, sustainable wage/salary increases. Demand technological hands-on training to strengthen industry. Compel systems to utilize digitization to sprint education and industry to 21^st Century production capacity. Urge workers to utilize resources effectively. Condemn Ghanaian dependency mentality. Implore workers to embrace genuine knowledge and skill acquisition, diligence, and professionalism for dignity. Prompt workers to eschew mediocrity, strive for excellence. In short, Unions must negotiate holistically!