In a rather unconventional appeal, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Ampem Nyarko, has made a thought-provoking appeal to Ghana’s clergy to help promote the payment of taxes among their congregations.
The deputy minister who has observed how the clergy use zeal and energy to promote tithing says the same passion must also be used to preach about taxes.
Thomas Ampem Nyarko made this appeal when he was speaking at the launch of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Sustained Tax Education and Modified Taxation Scheme in Accra.
The deputy minister, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, said tax education must move beyond classrooms and offices to reach every corner of society, including the pulpit.
“We must continuously invest in tax education. We need to integrate tax education into our markets, churches, mosques, schools, and workplaces,” he emphasized.
“I see Pastor Nigel Gaisie here and some other pastors,” he said with a smile, adding that, “We want to depend on you to advocate to your members to pay taxes.”
With a broad smile amid applause from the audience, he stated, “The energy you use to encourage them to pay tithes must also be used to encourage them to pay taxes.”
Citing Scripture, he reminded the audience that faith and civic duty are not in competition, as the Bible imposes on all Christians to honor their civic duties by paying their taxes. He called on the pastors to desist from channeling all their energy into promoting just the tithe, leaving out the civic duties.
“Our Bible says, give unto Caesar, which is the secular authority, what is for Caesar, and give unto God through the churches what is for God. So don’t let us skew the advocacy only for what is for God. Let us also use those platforms to advocate for our members to pay taxes,” he added.
The Deputy Minister stressed that tax education should be made part of daily life, insisting that “Every Ghanaian, regardless of language, creed, or literacy level, deserves to understand how taxes work and how they help develop our country.”
To him, paying tithes as a Christian must go hand-in-hand with the payment of taxes as a civic responsibility of a citizen.
