Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has urged Ghana to give private enterprise room to grow, warning against excessive taxation while calling for national wealth to fund quality education, healthcare and protection against poverty.
In an interview with Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, Kufuor said the country needed leadership that recognised individuals' ability to create wealth and provided the conditions for them to succeed.
“We shouldn't stifle initiative with excessive taxation,” he said.
He was outlining his vision for Ghana over the next 50 years and the kind of country he hoped younger generations would inherit.
Room to build legitimate wealth
Kufuor said Ghana’s reputation for openness should be reflected in how it governs and supports its people.
“We tend to be open-minded and liberal, but that's not how we've lived so far,” he observed.
He called for an environment where entrepreneurs could develop their talents, build legitimate fortunes, pay reasonable taxes and retain the rewards of their work.
The state, in his view, should create a framework that encourages initiative and gives businesses the confidence to invest.
“If we do that, allow the private sector to mature, to attract investments, both from within and from outside, the people are happy when they come here.” - Kufuor
His appeal linked the freedom to pursue enterprise to the government’s responsibility to ensure prosperity improves everyday life.
Education and protection against poverty
Kufuor placed education at the centre of that responsibility, arguing that Ghana’s children deserved opportunities comparable to those available anywhere else.
“We must ensure that all the children of this land are given some of the finest education you can get anywhere,” he said.
He also called for good healthcare and a safety net that prevents people with disabilities and those without employment from falling into abject poverty.
Delivering those protections, he said, required leadership capable of generating wealth and directing it towards public needs.
Kufuor pointed to Ghana’s gold, lithium, bauxite and manganese deposits as resources that could help finance a more prosperous future.
He also highlighted the country’s human talent, describing Ghanaians as people who learn well, distinguish themselves abroad and maintain relationships across social differences.
Their willingness to interact, intermarry and work together was another national strength, he said.
For the former president, inclusive governance would mean giving those abilities room to flourish while ensuring that children, unemployed people and vulnerable households also benefit from the wealth Ghana is capable of creating.
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