The Chief of Bamiri and Tuntuhene of the Techiman Traditional Council, Nana Asare Baffour, has appealed to the government to grant tax exemptions to chiefs undertaking community development projects to enable them to import essential equipment and other goods at lower costs.
Nana Asare Baffour said development-oriented chiefs continue to play a vital role in complementing government efforts to improve the living conditions of their people, but the high cost of import duties remains a major obstacle to their work.
According to him, while successive governments have encouraged traditional leaders to become development partners, the burden of import taxes makes it difficult for chiefs to acquire the equipment and logistics needed to execute projects in their communities.
“I would like to use your platform to appeal to the government to grant tax exemptions to development-oriented chiefs to enable us to import equipment and other essential goods needed to support the development of our communities.”
He noted that reducing or waiving import duties for chiefs with proven development records would strengthen their capacity to undertake more community-based initiatives and complement the government’s development agenda.
Highlighting some of the projects undertaken in Bamiri, Nana Asare Baffour disclosed that, with the support of the Bamiri Divisional Council, a new police station has been constructed for the community.
He added that plans are underway to procure a pickup truck for the police station once it becomes operational to improve security operations within the area.
The Bamiri Chief further revealed that he also intends to purchase an ambulance for the Bamiri Health Centre to improve emergency healthcare delivery, but said the high cost of import duties remains his greatest challenge.
“Every government desires chiefs who are committed development partners. However, the high cost of import duties makes it difficult for some of us to bring in equipment that would help accelerate development in our communities.”
Nana Asare Baffour therefore called on the government to introduce a tax exemption policy for development-oriented chiefs, arguing that such a measure would enable traditional leaders to import essential equipment more affordably and contribute more effectively to the socio-economic development of their communities.
He expressed confidence that easing the tax burden on chiefs investing in community projects would accelerate development in rural areas and further strengthen the partnership between traditional authorities and the government in delivering essential services to citizens.
Source: Newspyramid.com
