Let The Brightest And Best Of Ghana's Younger Generation Take Over The Enterprise Ghana

Author's note: This piece was written on 9/9/2013. It is being posted today, because I was unable to do so on the day. Please read on:

Whenever I  talk to  the brightest and most dynamic of the younger generation of  Ghanaians, I invariably  feel  very hopeful for our nation's future.


For example, yesterday (Saturday 6/9/2013),  I had a conversation with a young friend, who felt appalled that it was virtually impossible for banks in Ghana to know whether or not their clients were in compliance of a slew of regulatory requirements.


Now here is a world-class young Ghanaian,   whose creative thinking,  has enabled him to come up with  a brilliant solution,  to a problem  with huge implications for corporate good governance in Ghana's business world.


What is depressing for me,  is that their generation is  not running Ghana - a potentially wealthy nation,  hamstrung by a hidebound older generation -  many of  whose egregious selfishness and greed,  has literally brought our nation to its knees.


Political parties in Ghana,  would be wise to begin  searching for  brilliant and dynamic young people,  like my young friend, to put into leadership positions -  and effect a generational change as quickly as it is practicable for that  to be done.


Older generation Ghanaians  ought to focus on giving opportunities to high-flying individuals from the younger generation -  particularly  entrepreneurial types: including  young Ghanaians in the diaspora who have done well and built profitable businesses overseas.


It is most unfortunate that radical ideas that could make a  difference in the real world,  and make our economy grow rapidly, are seldom  considered by  our ruling elites - so  many of whom one gets the impression have calcified thought-processes and as a result  are incapable of doing any original thinking.


Why else would piling on yet more taxes on individuals and businesses, be the knee-jerk reaction of the geniuses amongst  our ruling elites who happen to be  in charge of economic policy,    as the best way to heal the economic equivalent of self-inflicted wounds, which   their profligate election-time  spending amounts  to  - no matter which political party happens to be in power at any given point in time?


In seeking to rebalance the national economy,  and end  the perennial crises resulting from  the inexcusable election-time fiscal indiscipline we invariably experience  for example, why do our ruling elites  never  once consider abolishing personal income tax,  and making  Ghana the nat
Would abolishing personal income tax not put more money into  the pockets of working people - whose  increased spending power would also result in increased profits for the businesses that serve them?


And what business in Ghana would be reluctant to pay its fair  share of taxes - which  pay for our nation's development -  if our nation  had the lowest corporate tax rates in the world,  as well as its simplest  tax system?


Would many of the international companies that have their African headquarters in places like South Africa, not move their African headquarters to Ghana,  for example, were all the above the case?


Would such an innovative  policy initiative not be  a creative way to  widen the tax net in Ghana, I ask?


And would the increase in tax revenues that that  would result in, not make  more funds for expanding Ghana's infrastructure,  available to governments of the day? And would that not have a positive ripple-effect throughout the national economy, I ask?


My most recent conversation with my young friend, who brims with innovative ideas about making Ghana a business-friendly country -  and agreed with my own unorthodox  suggestions above -  has reaffirmed my belief that the time has now come for the brightest and best of Ghana's younger generation,  to be allowed to  take control  of the enterprise Ghana.


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