Amid the various pathways Ghana can accelerate its development, a fellow of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Hene Aku Kwapong, is making a case for the urgent introduction of a Charity Law in the country.
Dr. Kwapong argues that a Charity Law could transform how the country funds national projects while improving transparency in religious and private fundraising.
The absence of such a law, Dr. Kwapong says, is creating a huge gap. This absence of a Charity Law is a legal vacuum that does not encourage wealthy private citizens to donate openly and confidently to national development.
The CDD Fellow believes many Ghanaians with the means to give are willing to support the country, but there are few clear incentives and safeguards to guide such generosity. A Charity Law, he argues, would provide tax incentives, legal protections, and clear rules that make it easier for private citizens to fund projects that ultimately belong to the state.
To cite an example to justify this call. Dr. Kwapong referenced the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the United States, a national cultural landmark largely funded through private donations.
Today, the center hosts major state and cultural events, reducing the need for the government to rent private venues.
Ghana, he says, could learn from this model. Instead of spending large sums of public money on hotels and private facilities for national events, Ghana could allow private citizens, philanthropists, and foundations to raise funds to build lasting public assets such as conference centers, cultural venues, and civic spaces.
Dr. Kwapong also believes a Charity Law would improve accountability, particularly within churches and religious organizations that collect large sums of private money. Without clear legal oversight, he argues, it is difficult to ensure that such funds are properly managed or used for the public good.
A well-designed Charity Law would not stop churches from raising money, he stressed, but would require transparency and reporting, ensuring that funds collected in the name of charity serve genuine social purposes.
“Ghana needs a Charity Law to provide incentives for wealthy private citizens to gift to the state and allow churches to be held accountable for the private money collected,” he advocated.
He adds that, “Private funding created the Kennedy National Cultural Center, where the US government holds a lot of great national events. We have to learn allowing our Ghanaian private citizens to raise funds to build gifts for the state, so the state can stop using Hotels etc for national events.”
Dr. Kwapong’s proposal signals that Ghana does not lack generosity. What it lacks is a system that channels generosity into lasting national value.
