President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the country can bounce back from the current economic challenges if everyone adopts the can-do spirit.
“I know we are capable. I believe in the can-do spirit of the Ghanaian, the first people in sub-Saharan Africa to rid ourselves of the shackles of imperialism and colonialism. Ours is a bright future, and I am confident that our years in Mother Ghana will be great. Let us work together and bounce back together, the battle is the Lord’s,” he said.
Addressing the 65th Independence Day parade in Cape Coast on Sunday March 6, 2022 on the theme: “Working together; Bouncing Back Better”, he said globally the Covid-19 pandemic for the past two year had disrupted economic activities, hence the need to improve on our tax net to grow the economy.
According to him, athough taxation was a major vehicle to raising revenue to develop the country, many Ghanaians were opposed to the system.
“Very few will then take the next further step to accept that revenue mobilization will happen principally through taxation in our society. We have, unfortunately, not yet reached the stage of universal acceptance of taxation as a matter of public good,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo noted that it was unacceptable that less than 10 per cent of the population are carrying the burden of the entire nation.
“The country’s tax-to-GDP ratio of 12.2 per cent compared unfavourably with its peers in the world… economies such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea relied on taxation to finance their development,” he intimated.
On the calls for coups, the president called on Ghanaians to jealously guard the peace the country had enjoyed and ignore calls for a military intervention.
He notes that it is worrying that there were some “restless spirits” who are seeking to exploit the current difficulties confronting the nation and make a call for military intervention.
President therefore assured that he would, for his part, employ all legitimate means in a democracy to keep the nation’s democracy strong.
“Despite differences in opinions, unity was needed to forge ahead as a nation. There should be no circumstances where anyone or group of persons should run down the country to achieve a narrow and parochial interests,” he stated.
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SOURCE: ATL FM NEWS
