President of the Spiritual Churches of Ghana, Odeyifoò Philip K Acquah is urging government to tax fetish priests and Mallams in the country.
According to him, just like churches, they also engage in profit-making businesses thus must fulfill their tax obligations.
Odeyifoò Acquah’s comment is in reaction to the call by deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Odame for churches to pay taxes.
He explained that, most religious organizations engage in profit making ventures such as schools, micro finance institutions, transportation as some of the profit making businesses yet failed to honour their tax obligations.
Godfred Odame said although the government acknowledged the efforts of religious institutions in national development, their contribution to government through the payment of taxes, could have improved the current status of the economy.
But reacting to the issue on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Friday, Odeyifoò Acquah said the call is apt because it is not against the doctrine for religious bodies to ignore tax.
He quoted Roman’s Chapter 13 to back his assertion, adding that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority that God has not established. The authorities that exist have been established by God”.
But Odeyifoò Acquah who is also the Leader and Founder of Church of Bethesda at Anyaa in Accra the fetish priest and Muslim clerics make more money than most churches which is the target of government.
“Mallams and fetish priest make a lot of money so government must also tax them. If they concentrate on us selling GH₵20.00 oil, they won’t get anything” he stressed.
