By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, May 10, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to provide incentives to churches instead of taxing them.
He said the churches had played a pivotal role in the country’s development efforts through the provision of educational infrastructure, health facilities and social amenities over the years, therefore, it would be prudent to incentivise them to do more rather than taxing them.
“You’re our domestic development partners and will give you incentives to do more,” Dr Bawumia said this during a meeting with religious leaders in the Bono East Region on Friday.
“We will rather want to give churches incentives to support what the government is doing. I want us to be partners, the way the development partners have been with us,” Dr Bawumia stressed.
“We should rather be paying them rather than they paying us…unless you don’t understand the work the church has done…if you’re looking at the buildings and keeping the society together…universities, hospitals, schools…it’s massive…it’s just massive…so, I don’t see a situation where we have to tax the churches,” Dr Bawumia stated amidst applause from the Clergy.
Some civil society organisations and social activists in the past have supported the call for Churches to be taxed since a lot of them are making money from their members through the collection of offerings and tithes, while others sell anointing oil, spiritual soaps, perfumes, and different items in the church.
Therefore, the Vice President’s stance has brought to rest a raging debate over whether churches should be taxed or not.
Dr Bawumia is on a nationwide campaign tour across all the 16 regions until the first week of June.
‘Bold Solutions for our Future,’ is the theme for his campaign, focusing on three key pillars: The battle of ideas and character, The battle of records and the battle of effective campaign.
The NPP Flagbearer and his campaign team are focusing on issue-based electioneering, tackling cogent, practical, and tailor-made ideas to deal with issues that are dear to the Ghanaian people.
He is meeting a wide range of stakeholders including traditional rulers, the Clergy, youth groups, traders, drivers, farmers, and students, and interact with businesses and associations.
He has been visiting market centres and other public places to listen to the concerns of both traders and consumers.
Dr Bawumia also engaged the media, held townhall meetings and continued with his regular stakeholder engagements with Ghanaians.
Since his election as the NPP Flagbearer on November 4, 2023, for the December 7 Election, Dr Bawumia had been regularly active in undertaking broad consultations and interactions with various groups across the country.
GNA