IT IS AMAZING how Ghanaians can turn serious situations into funny forms just to enjoy themselves or ridicule important issues. This attitude perhaps has some positive side. It makes the Ghanaian always full of smiles when such jokes are being shared in difficult times.

Take the example of VAT, HIPC and the number “trillion.” In 1996, when the abbreviation VAT (acronym for Value Added Tax) came into being and was introduced by the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) ‘VAT’ soon became a household ‘word.’ Several other nicknames were also coined for it. VAT was called “Vote Against Them” (apology to Prof. Adu Boahen of the NPP), which was, then in opposition. VAT was also referred to as “Very Abominable Tax” by businessmen and “Value Added Tears” by civil servants. To console the teenager who was shot dead during the demonstration dubbed “Kume Preko”, VAT was nicknamed “Vilence Against Teenagers”!

For the figure “trillion”, when it was first mentioned by the Hon. Minister of Finance, Mr. Osafo Maafo that Ghana’s debt had hit ?41 trillion”, the figure “trillion” became cynically associated with NDC gurus and their party. Even one radio station (FM station) jokingly nicknamed Mr. J.J. Rawlings, “Mr. J.J. Trillion!” In Kumasi, some old women who could not pronounce the word “trillion” properly said NDC had left a debt of “train ma” literally “train full” for “trillion”.

Then comes in the dawn of HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) initiative, so when again the Hon. Minister of Finance, disclosed that Ghana had accepted the HIPC initiative, the following appellations were immediately concocted in Kumasi. HIPC - Highly Indebted “Positive Change” by NPP activists or HIPIM - Highly Indebted “Poor Man” by Civil Servants HIPIW - Higly Indebted “Poor Woman” HIPUS - Highly Indebted “Poor University Students”