By Gifty Amofa, GNA
Accra, May 29, GNA - Ms Josephine Nkrumah, the Chairperson for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has advised the citizenry to pay their taxes to enjoy progressive socio-economic development.
She explained that it was mainly tax revenue that could be used to build a great nation and without it, there would be poor healthcare, roads, no access to Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres, no laboratory in schools, no access to justice system, no-access to potable water, poor sanitation conditions, and the like.
“It comes back to hurt us when we don’t pay our taxes and the right taxes,” she stressed.
Ms Nkrumah was speaking at the on-going annual Constitution Week celebration of the NCCE, on the general theme: “Our nation, our heritage, consolidating Ghana’s democratic gains”.
The La Dadekotopon Office of the NCCE organised the event, which seeks to nurture young citizens to embrace their tax obligations as a patriotic duty and encourage the old ones to live up to expectation, among others.
“Ghana’s democratic governance is 25 years and Ghanaians have the cause to celebrate it,” Ms Nkrumah noted.
However, she pointed out that steps had to be taken to entrench the democratic rule so that the future would continue to be governed by its tenets; saying one of the ways to sustain it was through the paying of taxes.
She said that the celebration was in two phases: on Tax Compliance; and Taking care of the Environment.
The NCCE Chairperson said, every citizen’s primary responsibility was to be tax compliant, thus, the occasion would be used to orient the minds of the youth to become the leaders who would transform Ghana.
They should also encourage their parents and members of their communities who earned money to pay taxes in order for them to have all the requisite socio-economic infrastructure and services to promote the wellbeing and prosperity of citizens.
Growing up in the right environment, she said, would enable them to contribute their quota to sustainable national development.
Ms Nkrumah advised them to take the greening of their environment seriously so as to help check climate change by planting trees, protecting it from abuse and keeping it clean.
The event attracted 40 schools from both private and public, including; La Wireless Junior High School (JHS), Nativity Presbyterian School, Tenashie JHS, La Presby JHS, St Maurice Roman Catholic JHS, Airport Police JHS, Osu Home JHS, Vision Seed Academy, La Enobal Basic School, Rangoon Camp Primary, South La Estate Primary and La Yahoushua Primary.
Mrs Gladys Mandedey, Municipal Chief Executive of La Dadekotopon, said though Ghana had enjoyed sustained constitutional rule over two decades, it had not come without challenges such as lack of transparency, poor accountability and minimal involvement of the public in decision making.
The celebration, she said, would instil in the youth the governance process as decisions on healthcare, job security and others had greater impact on their lives.
She commended NCCE for its independent and non-partisan roles played over the years to promote and sustain democracy through civic education.
Mrs Bernice Addai, the Municipal Director of Education, said the celebration afforded the time to learn the Constitution through games and quizzes and other activities.
She urged the pupils and students to work hard to become useful citizens.
Officials of the LaDMA NCCE, religious and traditional leaders, assembly members, circuit supervisors, heads of schools and teachers also participated in the programme.
There was a tree planting exercise, signifying the nurturing of democracy and civic participation in governance.
GNA
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