The Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has urged pastors and other religious leaders to use their sermons to encourage tax payment with the same enthusiasm they show when preaching about tithing.
He said paying taxes was both a moral and patriotic duty to Ghana.
Speaking in Accra on Wednesday [Nov 5, 2025], at the launch of the Sustained National Tax Education Programme and Modified Taxation Scheme, Mr Ampem said religious leaders had a strong influence over their congregations and could help shape a responsible tax culture.
“I see Pastor Nigel Gaisie here, and some other pastors present. We want to depend on you to advocate to your members to pay taxes,” he said.
“The energy you use to encourage them to pay tithes must also be used to encourage them to pay taxes. Our Bible says, give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. So let us not preach only about giving to God. Let us also use our platforms to teach our members to pay taxes,” he added.
The Deputy Minister, who represented the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, said the government’s new tax education campaign was aimed at helping citizens to understand that taxes were not punishments but contributions toward national development.
He said taxes fund roads, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities that benefit everyone.
Mr Ampem said the 2026 Budget, to be presented next Thursday, would deliver on the government’s promise to simplify the Value Added Tax (VAT) system and ease the pressure on businesses and households.
He explained that the tax education drive sought to extend beyond government offices into communities, churches, mosques, schools, and workplaces.
The goal, he said, was to make every Ghanaian aware of how their taxes supported national progress.
Mr Ampem also called for all tax-funded projects to be clearly labelled to make citizens aware of how their contributions were used.
He recalled how residents in his constituency insisted that a renovated CHPS compound bear the inscription “HIPC Initiative”.
“It is important that we educate our people. Once they see what we are using their taxes for, they will be willing to pay more,” he said.
He announced that the government, in partnership with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), would soon introduce measures to recognise and reward compliant taxpayers, while naming and shaming those who defaulted, to promote fairness in the system.
Mr Ampem appealed to the Chief of Staff to encourage President Mahama to direct all public officials to include tax education in their public speeches.
He said this would help build a culture of shared responsibility.
He urged Ghanaians to see tax payment as a civic duty that strengthens trust between citizens and the state.
“When taxpayers are well-informed, they comply voluntarily. When they observe accountability, trust grows. And with trust, revenue grows, and so will Ghana,” he said.
