NPP needs compromise candidate for Election 2012 – Frimpong-Boateng
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, an aspirant for the flagbearership of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday called for a compromise candidate like him to lead the party back to power.
“NPP needs a compromise candidate capable of eliminating intra and inter party antagonism, a disposition essential to solidify the party and attract floating voters”.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that: “I stand out among the lot as the most affable, with an unblemished reputation both in private and public life, internationally exposed and highly connected, high diplomatic negotiation skills and ability to work with every Ghanaian irrespective of one’s political background.”
“To win Election 2012, NPP must reduce intra party antagonism, bickering and all forms of negative tendencies which derailed our Election 2008 Campaign and set a political history in the country by electing a flagbearer with the ability to re-claim power just after four years of losing it”.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, former Chief Executive Officer of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, noted that the party must recognise that the ground rules for contesting Election 2012 were different from Election 2008.
“In Election 2008, we were in power with all the advantages of incumbency but lost painfully, now in opposition with its disadvantages, and the quest for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to retain power, we have no choice but to put our best foot forward in Election 2012”, he said.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon famed as the first black African to perform heart transplant and the originator of the National Cardiothoracic Centre in Accra said, “his track record of personal accomplishment has prepared him on the principles of governance”.
He urged the party not to “sacrifice permanent on the altar of the immediate” but must consider the future of the nation and elect who had the capacity and capabilities among the lot to lead the country and “take her on an accelerated human centred development journey”.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng reiterated that: “I entered into the contest to become the flagbearer of our great party for Election 2012 to address challenges of the nation”.
“I am into politics to fix it all, I have done it before and I have the capacity to mend the nation, therefore, no denying the fact that the quality of leadership that I will offer would directly will bring about the success of Ghana”, he added.
He explained that an important function of leadership was to inspire those being led to greater achievements in order to gain competitive advantage over other countries on the globalised market.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said: “one of the most universal cravings of our time is hunger for compelling and creative leadership”.
“I stand for prompt, vigorous action and I challenge the delegates to cast their votes for Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng as the flagbearer of the NPP for Election 2012, this is the time to elect a winnable candidate for the party,” he stressed.
Source: GNA
Tax practitioners in Ghana will soon need certification to practice
A tax education and training draft bill aimed at streamlining the training of tax practitioners in the country is before Cabinet, Mr. Yaw Asante-Boadi, President, Chartered Institute of Taxation, said on Tuesday.
“The need for people working in the tax offices to acquire real professional training is very important but in our circumstances very few go through such important initiation before securing employment but we believe that the practice has to be streamlined.”
Mr. Asante-Boadi, in an interview with the Ghana New Agency after the launch of the “Tax practitioner”, the official journal of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana, in Accra, said in the long term, all tax collectors will as a matter of necessity and law, pursue a full course in taxation.
He called for a common practice and interpretation of tax laws in the country to make the tax regime user friendly and well appreciated.
“There are many ambiguities in the tax laws and procedure which create room for suspicion and multiple interpretations”
On the “Tax practitioner”, he said, it would create the platform for the “passionate discussion of tax thought, inform tax thought, share tax ideas with the public,inform tax policy formulation and more importantly, educate taxpayers about their rights and obligations”
He said: “It has been said that taxpayers are emboldened to speak more frankly about governance when they pay their taxes.We all then hold a big stake in the process of taxation.”
According to Mr. Asante-Boadi, the journal which is a mouth piece for the Institute will offer the platform for the discussion of professional tax practice issues as opinions on tax will be frankly expressed.
“We therefore encourage opinion leaders, the taxpaying public, tax policy makers, tax administrators and tax students to patronize this very important, educative and information disseminator.”
Source: GNA