Bawumia promises incentives for churches; kicks against taxation

Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has indicated that he disagrees with the calls for churches to be taxed.

In recent times, there have been calls for government to tax the churches on the money made from the offerings they take.

Some have also argued that churches are now running as businesses with the sale of several items by some men of God and must be taxed for making profit.

Speaking to some clergymen as part of his nationwide tour, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has kicked against the calls, insisting that government must rather provide incentives for churches.

“The question is on church and taxes. Are we going to tax churches? My view on this is simple. In fact, that’s why I said if you look at the work the church has done we should rather be paying them rather than them paying us. Unless you don’t understand the work the church has done.

“If you look at the buildings. The way they keep the society together, the universities, the hospitals, the schools, is just massive. Many churches have hundreds of schools. So I don’t see and I won’t have a situation where we are taxing the churches,” Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia stressed.

According to the NPP flagbearer, he plans to make the church domestic development partners of government when he becomes president.

“We rather want to give churches incentives to support what government is doing. I want us to be partners in a way that the development partners are with us. You are our domestic development partners and we will give you incentives to do more,” Dr. Bawumia said.