Over 320 of the highest paid Ghanaian public officials do not pay taxes on the high incomes and per diems they take from the people every passing month.
Mr. Mahama and his Vice, Mr. Amissah-Arthur, each take home every month more than GH¢20,000.00 tax free, before other benefits (free housing, free staff, free transportation, per diem extra, etc), all tax-free.
Every minister takes home more than GH¢15,000.00 as salary every month, plus similar benefits, all tax-free.
Ministers receive additional benefits, including the use of two cars plus free gasoline, drivers, and free housing with staff, all tax-free.
Members of Parliament receive more than GH¢12,000 a month, with similar benefits, all tax-free.
So, while the average "high" public official in Mr. Mahama's government receives more than GH¢15,000.00 each month, and MPs receive more than GH¢12,000.00 each month, all tax free, it is the Ghanaian teacher living in Akatechi, Kofevi, Navrongo, Cape Coast, Ho, Berekum, Cabo Corso, Ogwa, Kumasi, Tamale, Tema, Bongo, Karachi, Paga, Kukurantumi, Zvalungu, and all places in-between, earning about GH¢1,200.00 a month who actually pays taxes on her/his income.
Our back of the envelop calculations tell us the "high" official tax-free incomes alone add up to more than GH¢4,089,284.00 every month, or GH¢49,137,369.00 every year, before the value of all those free benefits are added to the equation.
So, how about that, Ghana!
More than GH¢49,137,369.00 every year, all tax-free, to round out of the continuing putrid Rawlingsian taking of Ghana's resources by "high" government officials who hide behind the bright, wart-infested Constitution engineered by Mr. Jerry "Accountability" Rawlings?
They know about those Constitutions, alright!
But now, they are feeling good and talking about an "Agenda" for Ghana!
They are feeling good and talking about a "40-Year Development Plan"!
How ridiculous!
And, if we must be ridiculous, how about GH¢2,122,734,341.
Yes, over GH¢2.122 billion!
That is how much we would have paid in 40 years assuming an 8% increase in inflation over 40 years for our current-year tax free benefit of GH¢49,137,369.00. That is, before we see the first benefits of our so-called "40-Year Development Plan".
So, how about fixing the warts in the Constitution before another cheap word?
You know, putting our shiny Akosombo-Nkania-Ibrahim-Mahama-MAN Tipper Truck right in from of our Donkey-Goat Trailer-Wagon so we can objectively haul away all those Rawlingsina-Sodom-and-Gomorah filth in the Constitution(s)!
You remember, don't you, all those tax-free benefits!
Then, how about this for an "Agenda", or to put it in another refrain, what do you have against this?.
The Mission/Agenda of the Government of Ghana (GOG) Shall Be:
“...to establish in Ghana a strong and progressive society in which no one will have any anxiety about the basic means of life, about work, food and shelter; where poverty and illiteracy no longer exist and disease brought under control; and where our educational facilities provide all the children of Ghana with the best possible opportunities for the development of their potentialities...”.
Then, do the "Agenda" thing so it is measured every 0.5-election cycle, so the politicians who love to talk can have their day every 2 years to tell Ghanaians what they have actually accomplished, what projects they sustained and continued, what new projects they started, what projects they allowed to go fallow, and why!
Who was the genius who said "Talk is Cheap"!
What a Genius!
So it goes, Ghana!
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We are more than talk. We are data-driven! Prof Lungu is based in Washington DC, USA.
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Monkey Dey Work, Mahama-AMissah-Attas Dey Chop! (3.0) ©29 Jul 15