Bawumia says his comment on govt paying churches was just a joke, not meant to be taken literally.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP flagbearer, has explained that his previous statement about incentivizing churches to engage in development projects was a joke, and not a serious policy proposal. He clarified that there are no plans to impose taxes on churches.

During a meeting with religious leaders in the North East Region, as part of his nationwide tour, Vice President Bawumia clarified that his previous remark may have been misinterpreted or taken out of context, and he wanted to set the record straight.

Dr. Bawumia’s statement was made in recognition of the significant contributions of faith-based institutions to Ghana’s development, including the construction of essential facilities like schools, hospitals, and universities. He emphasized that these institutions deserve support to continue their good work, highlighting the immense impact they have on people’s lives.

He posed a hypothetical scenario where all these facilities suddenly disappear, stressing that Ghana would be in a state of collapse and chaos, unable to survive without the vital services provided by these institutions.”

In essence, Dr. Bawumia is acknowledging the critical role faith-based institutions play in Ghana’s development and urging support for their continued contributions to the country’s well-being.

So at that point I was joking and I said, oh…people are talking about taxing churches. I don’t believe, and we will not tax churches. Because if you look at the work the churches have done, then I was joking then, maybe we should have actually paid them for what they did, not really trying to tax them. But I wasn’t really saying we should pay churches, no. I am saying that we should give incentives to churches to do more.”

During a meeting with clergy in the Bono East region on May 10, Dr. Bawumia, the NPP’s flagbearer, emphasized the significant contributions of churches to Ghana’s development. He highlighted their extensive work in building schools, universities, hospitals, and keeping society cohesive. He stressed that considering the massive impact of churches, he cannot envision a scenario where they are taxed.

READ: churches-will-receive-incentives-under-my-presidency-dr-bawumia/

This statement was made during his ongoing campaign tour in the North East region, his home area.