Religious leaders and the government of Ghana have agreed to setup a regulatory body that will be tasked with ensuring that all religious institutions required to pay taxes on their income generating activities do so.
This was revealed after President Akufo-Addo met with members of the clergy and leaders of other religious groupings at the Jubilee House over breakfast to discuss issues of national interest and to solicit the views of the religious leaders on government’s plans and programmes.
Rev. Victor Osei, Senior Pastor of the Family life Chapel in Kumasi and Vice President of the National Association of Charismatic Churches, addressing the press after the close session with the President indicated that body is to be set up within weeks and that it will be tasked with regulating taxability of religious establishment.
“The religious Community is much more than the Church. We turn to forget that it includes Muslims, Bahia, Eastern religions are all part of religious bodies. Normally people just talk about the Church, but for all this bodies, some money come out and some money comes in so at the end of the day, it should be all inclusive. All these things were spoken about and we know the way forward is going to be good,” Rev. Victor Osei said.
Churches according to Rev. Osei, already pay taxes as individuals and also on businesses that they set up. The task of the proposed regulatory body will be to develop measures that will rope in all other Churches who may be evading the payment of statutory taxes required of them.
The President in his opening remarks said he is looking forward to meeting with the clergy on periodic basis to discuss issues of public interest.
“I am hoping that what we are doing here today is going to be a regular feature of my government so a couple of times a year we have the opportunity to meet and hear your considerations and you will also hear the things that are on the heart and mind of government,” the President said.
Notable members of the clergy such as Archbishop Gabriel Palmer Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast; Bishop Charles Agyinasare, Presiding Bishop of the Perez Chapel International; Rev. Clement Anchebah of the Fountain Gate Chapel International; Bishop Gideon Titi Offei, Senior Pastor of the Pleasant Place Church; Evangelist Lawrence Tetteh; Rev. Michael Boadi Nyamekye of the Makers House Chapel International; Prophet Owusu Bempah, Senior Pastor of the Glorious Word Power Church, amongst others, were present at the meeting.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Wilberforce Asare
