Features
E-levy: Its relevance to technology
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Even though E-levy has been passed by Parliament and given Presidential assent to make it a law in this country, its initial uncertainties that characterised its debate in Parliament made it look as if that law could never be passed.
Many people have argued that the levy is good and would help in the mobilisation of domestic financial resources for the country, other people particularly those in the minority in Parliament still continue to counter-argue that the E-levy is not good and should be scrapped.
SCRAPPING OF E-LEVY
Some members of the opposition have even indicated that if they are able to return to power in 2024, they will scrap the levy. This cannot be believed since the reality is that more domestic resources will be needed at any point in time to carry out socioeconomic development. There have been instances where similar arguments had been put forward in the past yet when the National Democratic Congress had the opportunity to come into government, they could not tamper with the programme they described as inappropriate. An example is the Health Insurance Scheme introduced by the Kufuor administration to promote quality healthcare for Ghanaians.
The NDC was in power from January 2013 to 7th January, 2017, but they were not able to tamper with the Health Insurance Scheme.
This shows that the opposition sometimes makes noise for political power but not to promote any meaningful socioeconomic agenda. It is in light of this that Ghanaians, no matter where they are in this country, ought to be careful about certain policies being promoted by government to promote their welfare.
TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS
It is important for every Ghanaian to note that the E-levy that has just been passed is fashioned along the direction of technology. The world is going technological in its activities and certain activities that were carried out in traditional forms or in form of face-to-face interaction are gradually becoming outmoded and, therefore, giving way to technological use and advancement.
Instead of carrying out money in bags and taking them to certain destinations to relatives and friends, technology has now made it possible for such remittances to be carried through technological means in form of MoMo for example. The good thing about the use of technology in this way is that it is fast and safe, preventing a situation where the sender can easily be attacked by armed robbers.
E-HEALTH
Again, in the world today, even medical care is gone technological so it is possible for patients to meet their medical doctors via Zoom for treatment. This is what has given way to e-health. The only aspect of medical care which may need face-to-face interaction is when samples of blood and other things may have to be presented physically for testing and analysis.
From the way things are going, the taxing of money transactions electronically forms only one of the aspects of taxation.
What this means is that all activities that are going technological such as e-health, e-pharmacy and e- agriculture and business provide fertile grounds for taxation by government. Many people also place orders from shops to have their goods delivered to them. In the same way, food ordered from restaurants are also delivered. All these are new forms of business transactions that call for taxation for use by the state. The world, including Ghana, is undergoing rapid transformation as far as electronic transactions are concerned. We cannot remain in our old fashion or way of doing things so the time has come for us to be able to adapt to the new ways of doing things especially in this era of the use of technology for trading.
MORE REVENUE FOR DEVELOPMENT
The E-levy as we know will bring in more revenue to enable government be able to undertake numerous projects for socioeconomic development. There is no doubt that ultimately it is the welfare of Ghanaians as a whole that will be enhanced or improved upon in this way. In light of all this, the E-levy is good and must be encouraged by every person in this country.
Having said this, however, the point must also be made that other sources of income to the state will have to be enhanced and intensified to enable the state carry out more developmental activities. Property rates for example ought to be taken seriously. People with houses and other properties ought to be encouraged to pay property rates so that we can see more development in this country.
PARKING TOLLS
Also, free lands or spaces can be turned into car parks. If this is done, parking tolls can be taken from all those cars that make use of such parking spaces. The end result will be more revenue for the state.
It is only when we go this way that the state will be able to pay and cater for unemployment benefits and free medical care as well as old age support for people who deserve them in this country.
ROAD TOLLS
In the same way, the road tolls that have just been scrapped ought to be brought back. If these things are done, national revenue will shoot up tremendously and make it possible for the state to support its citizens in various ways. For example, subsidies can be provided for farmers and other producers in the country who may need them.
It takes great thinking outside the box for a state to generate more revenue for its people. The population of Ghana (now over 30 million) needs to be provided for adequately by government through the establishment of a welfare system in the country. This is possible so let us move forward in unison as one country and achieve this as a national goal.
Contact email/whatsApp address of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
There is a culture that permeates all aspects of leadership in the advanced countries which I believe has contributed to the success in all aspects of their national lives. Citizens strive to excel so that they will not find themselves in a situation where they would have failed, to necessitate a decision to resign.
Countries where failure is frowned upon, it pushes the citizens to strive for success. In our part of the world, failure and mediocrity has become an accepted norm and therefore, there is no shame in failing in a particular position of leadership.
A head of an organisation mismanages the place and he does not see the need for him to resign. The appointing authority does not also see the need to sack him and so the merry go round continues.
It becomes friends and family as usual and if care is not taken, the rest of the world will leave us far, far behind.
The practice of resignation in parts of the world for failure in some parts of the world has to be institutionalised in our country too. It encourages the principle of accountability which is good for any organisation, sector of an economy or a country.
It promotes good governance, a necessary ingredient in the growth of the economy of any country.
When this practice becomes a culture, every individual, privileged to hold a position of trust, gives his or her full attention to the job assigned him or her, to ensure that objectives are achieved.
This trickles down to every individual down the chain of command and there are no rooms for errors.
That is how efficient systems are built over time and this is the difference between advanced nations and third world countries.
Where systems are designed such that people take responsibility for things that go wrong under their supervision or ultimate responsibility, there is evidence of development.
There are a few people that I admire in Ghana as far as this culture of resignation based on principled stance. One of them is the late Mrs Emma Mitchell. She was a cabinet member but chose to resign after the confrontation between late President Jerry Rawlings and late Vice President Kow Akaah.
She was not prepared to be part of a cabinet which was lying to the general public that Rawlings did not assault Akaah.
She was of the conviction that telling the truth is more honourable than telling lies and that if she was bound by confidentiality oaths to tell a lie, then she would resign and she did exactly that.
That is how we build a culture of truth and accountability. We have people in positions who have not lived up to expectation but are still holding on to their positions not prepared to let go of it.
This is a clear case of display of selfishness, trying to be a Boss instead of a Servant to serve the people, which leadership is all about.
The ineffectiveness of some leaders, often result in waste of resources which could have been channeled to other sectors of the economy which could have been more productive. A culture of voluntary resignation must be advocated for by all stakeholders, especially the CSOs, traditional leaders and the clergy.
This is the only way the needed growth in every sector of our national life would manifest.
Presidents, Prime Ministers, heads of reputable organisations have voluntarily resigned by taking ultimate responsibility and it is about time, we started seeing it manifest in our country.
The people in charge of our sports especially our soccer, can initiate this long desired culture and resign in view of the embarrassment witnessed from the defeat of the Black Stars by Gambia. God bless.
BY LAUD KISS-MENSAH
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THE QUR’AN FORBIDS RELIGIOUS PROVOCATION
There is a remarkable verse in the Qur’an which every Muslim preacher should memorise.
Allah says:
“And do not insult those they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in hostility without knowledge.” (Qur’an 6:108).
Think about this carefully.
Allah knows that the unbelievers worship false gods.
Yet Allah tells Muslims: Do not insult their objects of worship.
Why?
Because your speech may provoke an even greater offence.
This establishes a profound principle:
A Muslim must not fight religious provocation with religious provocation.
If someone insults what we hold sacred, we do not respond by insulting what they hold sacred.
If someone attacks Islam, we defend Islam with knowledge.
If someone misrepresents Muhammad (pbuh), we explain who is Muhammad to him.
If someone lies about Islam, we answer with truth and knowledge.
We do not allow another person’s bad behaviour to dictate our own morality.
LOOK AT MUHAMMAD (PBUH) — HE WAS INSULTED BEFORE WE WERE
Servant of Allah,
Sometimes we speak as though the Prophet (pbuh) lived in a world where everyone respected him.
No.
He was mocked and insulted. Quran 37:36, Quran 15:6
He was called a liar, magician, and a mad man. Quran 51:52, Quran 17:47
He was ridiculed. Quran 6:10
His followers were tortured, and some were killed. Quran 85:8-10
He himself was persecuted, leading to his migration to Madina.
Yet he remained the Messenger of Allah.
Allah said:
“Indeed, we know that your heart is distressed by what they say.” (Qur’an 15:97)
Allah acknowledged the Prophet’s pain.
Islam does not say that insults do not hurt. They hurt.
But the question is: What do you do with the pain?
THE DAY OF TA’IF: WHEN THE PROPHET (PBUH) COULD HAVE CHOSEN
REVENGE
One of the most powerful examples is the journey of the Prophet (pbuh) to Ta’if.
He went seeking support for his message.
Instead, the people rejected him and incited their children and others against him.
He was chased.
He was insulted.
He was struck with stones until his feet bled.
He was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Then the Angel of the Mountains came to him.
The two angels offered to crush the people of Ta’if between the mountains.
The Prophet (pbuh) could have said: “Do it.”
But he did not.
Instead, he hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Him.
This account is recorded in the authentic hadith literature, including Sahih Muslim (Muslim, 1795).
What a lesson!
The Prophet (pbuh) had suffered injustice.
But he did not turn his pain into indiscriminate revenge.
He saw beyond the offender.
He saw the possibility of tomorrow.
And this is one of the greatest characteristics of prophetic leadership:
The Prophet (pbuh) did not merely ask, “What punishment does this person deserve?”
He also asked, in effect: “What can this person become?”
THE PROPHET IN MADINAH: LEADER OF A DIVERSE SOCIETY
When Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Madinah, he did not enter an empty city.
Madinah contained different communities, including Muslims and Jews, and there were also Christians who interacted with the Muslim community.
The Prophet became the political and communal leader of Madinah.
The Sahifah (A Covenant) of Madinah, preserved in the early sīrah (Prophet’s biography) tradition, established arrangements concerning mutual obligations, security, justice and relations among the communities of the city.
This is important:
The Prophet did not build Madinah by teaching Muslims to hate everyone who was not Muslim.
He built a society governed by covenant, responsibility and justice.
Allah says:
“Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who have neither fought you because of your religion nor driven you from your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Qur’an 60:8)
This is not weakness.
This is Islam.
THE PROPHET DEALT WITH JEWS IN MADINAH
‘A’ishah (Wife of the Prophet) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) bought food from a Jewish man on credit and gave him his iron armour as collateral.
“The Prophet purchased food from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armour to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2068)
Think about it.
This was Muhammad.
The Messenger of Allah.
Yet he conducted lawful commercial dealings with a Jewish citizen.
He did not say: “He is not a Muslim, therefore I cannot deal with him.”
No.
Islam gave him a relationship governed by justice and trust.
Jabir رضيهللاعنه narrated:
“A funeral procession passed before us and the Prophet (pbuh) stood up, and we stood with him. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is the funeral of a Jew.’ He said: ‘When you see a funeral procession, stand.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1311)
Another narration records his response: “Is it not a soul?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1312–1313)
What kind of heart did Muhammad (pbuh) possess?
A heart that recognised human dignity even in death.
THE PROPHET AND THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN
The Prophet also received the Christian delegation of Najran.
They disagreed with him theologically.
Yet when they requested a trustworthy person, he did not choose someone because of hatred.
He selected Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.
The Prophet said:
“I shall send with you a man who is truly trustworthy.”
He then appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah.
This is authentically reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 4380–4381.
Notice something profound:
The Prophet could disagree with people without becoming dishonest toward them.
That is the standard we need today.
The author is the chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert.
