Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called on Ghana’s leaders to avoid excessive taxation, warning that it can discourage initiative and limit the ability of entrepreneurs to create wealth.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Kufuor said the state should create an enabling environment for people to use their talents and resources to build businesses. He argued that people who legitimately accumulate wealth should be allowed to retain their earnings while paying reasonable taxes.
“We shouldn’t stifle initiative with excessive taxation,” he said.
Kufuor made the remarks when asked about his vision for Ghana in the next 50 years and the future he hopes to see for young people.
He placed private enterprise at the centre of that vision, saying leadership must recognise the ability of Ghanaian entrepreneurs to harness resources and generate wealth.
“The state should gather the framework to empower the people,” he said, calling for greater opportunities for the private sector to grow and attract investment from both Ghana and abroad.
He noted that although Ghanaians tend to be open-minded and liberal, the country had yet to fully reflect those values in practice.
“We tend to be open-minded and liberal, but that’s not how we’ve lived so far,” he said.
Kufuor also called for inclusive governance and leadership that creates wealth to support social interventions and improve living conditions.
He identified education, healthcare and protection against poverty as key priorities, stressing the need to provide children with access to quality education.
“We must ensure that all the children of this land are given some of the finest education you can get anywhere,” he said.
He further advocated a social safety net to protect vulnerable people, including persons with disabilities and the unemployed, from abject poverty.
