Editorial
Bearing our economic burden together
National reconstruction calls for mobilisation of resources for the purpose of rebuilding what has gone wrong to promote smooth economic development for people in the country.
To be able to do this, we need to ensure that the burden is borne equally by everyone in the country, as part of contributing our quota towards national development.
In a situation where only a handful of people pays taxes to generate revenue into the national coffers for the sake of national development, the system can be said to be unfair since a substantial portion of people may not be seen to be contributing their quota to national development.
It is in the light of this that the government must adopt strategies to rope in more people into the tax net. When this is done, more people will be forced to contribute to national development in terms of paying taxes to raise revenue for the country.
Construction of roads, hospitals, schools, railways and many of such development projects require that we raise enough revenue to cover such expenses. We need to do this on regular basis to ensure that development projects are distributed to all sections of the population, so that every person or group of people will have their fair share of the national cake.
Many people in the formal sector are already contributing their quota through payment of taxes.
However, it is known that a large section of the country’s population does not pay tax. This is very unfortunate.
The Spectator is of the view that anyone who is involved in any kind of trade, no matter how small the scale is, ought to be made to pay some tax, so that together we can all enjoy good drinking water, good roads and health facilities for the good of everyone in this country.
Rome was not built in a day, so we must all agree to contribute our quota, so that over a period of time, we can all share in the glory of our own developmental agenda.
Government is already making some effort in this direction by ensuring that, to be able to register a business in this country, a person’s TIN number will be required for that purpose. This means that you cannot register a business entity without your TIN number.
We believe these are the measures needed to ensure that everyone is brought into the tax net, so that, together, we can all contribute to national revenue and help in the reconstruction of our country.
Last week Friday was National Farmers’ Day, which is observed every year on the first Friday of December to honour farmers for their diligence, commitment, and priceless contributions to supplying us with the food and resources we rely on a daily basis.
At this year’s lavish ceremony, which had as its theme “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future”, an octogenarian, Mr. Abraham Kwaku Adusei from Kwahu Odumase in the Afram Plains District of the Eastern Region, was adjudged the 2025 National Best Farmer.
His enterprise is overwhelming, which include 300 acres of rice, 600 acres of maize, 207 acres of mango, 300 acres of cashew, 1000 acres of cocoa, and 120 acres of vegetables. For his prize the 82-year-old farmer received a tractor and accessories, cutlasses, Wellington boots and a GH¢1.2 million cheque.
Reports say that this year’s ceremony, which was the most vibrant and well-attended edition in recent years, showcased rich cultural expressions, led by the Paramount Chief of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, who chaired the occasion with a large retinue of chiefs from the region.
Besides individuals winning awards, there were groups such as schools, religious bodies and institutions who received national recognition and support for their contributions and dedication to farming.
The Spectator urges the youth to take a cue from the hard work of our best farmer who is an octogenarian. If an octogenarian could win such an impressive award, there is no doubt that the youth can equally do same. It is a good example to follow.
These days the youth complain of being unemployed just because they are looking for white-collar jobs, but engaging in farming will be a major source of income and create jobs for them.
It is through the hard work of farmers that we have food on our tables every day.
The youth should be encouraged to engage in farming because it has numerous benefits: it is fundamental to food security, provides diverse nutritious options, tackles hunger and malnutrition, creates employment, provides raw materials for industries, and helps to earn foreign exchange through exports.
Besides, it also drives rural development, infrastructure growth, and supports environmental sustainability through practices like agro-forestry.
Without agriculture there will be shortage of food which can have dire consequences to society, creating chaos and instability.
Instead of being idle, we encourage the youth to educate themselves by taking short courses organised by agricultural institutions and learn about local farms and the challenges farmers face to brace themselves up for the task ahead.
The government should also put measures in place to encourage the citizenry to patronise local foods as a way of encouraging farmers whose primary responsibility include planting and harvesting crops which involves extensive work and are labour intensive.
Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment, so let us empower the youth to engage in agriculture to create jobs and also ensure food security.
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Dear Sir,
I wish to use this platform to congratulate all farmers in Ghana for their hard work and dedication to duty on the occasion of 2025 Farmers’ Day celebration.
Yesterday, in Ho in the Volta Region, Ghana marked the 41st edition of the celebration instituted by late former president, Jerry John Rawlings. It was marked under an excellent theme “Eat Ghana, Grow Ghana, Secure the future.” The aim was to promote local consumption, food security and the transformation of agriculture into a key driver of the economy.
The message it seeks to send out there is very loud and clear. That, every Ghanaian should strive to consume food produced locally. The work of our gallant farmers would amount to nothing if Ghanaians fail to consume what they toil morning, day and night to produce.
Farmers in Ghana are one group of people we must continue to celebrate and adore. They work so hard to ensure that food reaches every home in Ghana. And on such occasions, it is important to honour them like its done every year but one thing I wish to bring to the attention of government is that it is important to mechanically support the activities of these farmers and secondly, make the agric sector very attractive for the youth.
The youth have become so fixated on white-collar jobs which are currently non-existing. Government must therefore make the sector attractive enough for the youth to veer into the area.
Maxwell Quarshie,
Swedru
