Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President and presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has expressed his commitment to providing support to churches and faith-based organizations for their significant contributions to the government if he becomes president.
During a campaign event in Sefwi Wiawso with local leaders, including clergy and imams, Dr. Bawumia highlighted that despite the vital role religious groups play in the nation’s development, they do not receive any incentives from the government, unlike foreign development partners.
He promised that under his leadership, this would change. He plans to offer incentives such as exemptions on special equipment and machinery for development projects to churches and faith-based organizations. “I want to work together with churches and Islamic institutions. They contribute greatly to development by building schools and hospitals, yet the government does not support them,” Dr. Bawumia stated.
He emphasized that religious groups often use their own funds for these initiatives without any government assistance, contrasting this with the support given to foreign aid organizations.
“When foreign aid arrives for development, we recognize them as partners and provide them with benefits like duty waivers on materials for building schools or churches. However, when churches or Islamic institutions bring in similar materials, they are required to pay duties. I want to change that,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia aims to redefine churches and faith-based organizations as development partners, allowing them to receive the same incentives as foreign partners. “This means that when they bring in equipment for developing schools and hospitals, they will also be exempt from duties. This will greatly aid our country’s development.” His proposal received positive feedback from attendees.
