Recently, the government of Uganda, through parliament, passed a law to impose a 0.5% tax on mobile money transactions. Many Ugandans were not happy about this resolution by the authorities but the government insisted it was the right thing to do.
All governments have a responsibility to provide services and therefore have to collect taxes to ensure that these services are made available. The people of Uganda have no problem paying these taxes except for the unfairness of some taxes that the government imposes.
The people of Uganda think is unfair to send 2,000,000 shillings via mobile money at 20,000 shillings tax and transact the same amount at 2,500 shillings in a bank.
Ugandans wonder why this whole mobile money business is not handled by banks (official financial institutions) but left in the hands of Telecom companies that operate more as money lenders in the field of money matters. The people of Uganda think it is an injustice to charge the whole of this tax on citizens and not on the profits of the investor(s) in the foreign-owned Telecom companies that offer this service.
The people of Uganda insist it is an injustice to tax the sender and tax the receiver too. The Government, however, insists that citizens must pay taxes to ensure that the Government provides the necessary public goods and services.
It is true that psychologically, people do not want to pay taxes. However, it is also true that the very government (Authority) constituted by the very people certainly has some corrupt tendencies and practices. Citizens do not want to pay taxes because, somehow, these taxes create both a wealthy and healthy gap between the citizens and their leaders. The leaders tend to benefit more than the majority of citizens that pay these taxes.
Taxation policies and practices tend to yield fruits that are at a great extent enjoyed by the leaders and not by the citizens and in the process, this instils suspicion and opposition to taxes from the citizens.
In the church, a Christian MUST pay a tax known as the TITHE which is 10% of all that one earns (salary or profit).
Unlike secular government taxes which are supposed to be paid by all people on all items; a worshipper is not under obligation to pay tithe if they are not employed. They are not to pay tithe on money given to them (gifts), and not to pay tithe on utility (the elderly, the sick, school fees, student’s pocket money etc.) money.
TA tithe is only taken from a salary or a business profit. This is the fairness of Biblical tax policy in contrast to that of our governments. This Church tax known as the tithe belongs to the Pastor and the church. This tithe must minister to the pastor and service the local church and ensure that the worshippers get all the services they deserve at no extra cost. It is corruption for a church member whose tithe is paid at the local church to be charged a Church fee for using the same Church for his wedding or any other function.
There are two modes of Religious organization in the context of tithing:
- Centralization (where all the tithe that is collected is sent to the headquarters and the pastors receive a salary) and,
- Decentralization (where every local church must retain and use all its collected tithe and here, the pastor is the finance manager).
The two modes have problems that entertain corrupt traits and practices at church. Both Centralization and Decentralization in churches can be abused in the process.
Pastors in decentralized religions tend to struggle for the offices at the headquarters or for churches in urban areas where the worshippers are likely to pay high taxes i.e. tithe. Pastors who are Church CEOs tend to be wealthier and healthier than followers who give this tax known as the tithe.
While some citizens have not been faithful in paying their taxes (tithe), Pastors, just like politicians, have abused the taxes paid to them as well. It is because of this abuse of the tithe that many contend against this church tax and come up with all sorts of analysis to argue against tithing.
Citizens feel oppressed when they struggle with taxes and civil servants are paid in millions, drive heavily armoured cars, and with lead cars.
When leaders are building skyscrapers and the taxpayers are homeless, then the taxes are fought. In modern religions, there are two extremes: there are religions where the pastors look like destitute homeless orphans and the sheep look like they have been fattened for slaughter.
It is a shame for a sheep to look healthier than its shepherd. This means that this sheep is well fed by the shepherd but never provides milk to its shepherd and that is why the man of God suffers from malnutrition. I have seen this in some religions in Uganda.
The other extreme is when a pastor is healthier and wealthier than all the sheep in his congregation. When you look at pastors today in relation to their sheep, you can tell that a shepherd is milking a flock he doesn’t feed at all. A man of God packs a vehicle of over 500 million shillings at a place his church service rents to meet. And so many other things.
Pastors and politicians are the modern tax collectors and the message is simple and straight, let us use the tax rightly and let us make sure this tax benefits all of us fairly.
God bless you and: THINK & UNDERSTAND (2Tim 2:7 NLT)
Pr ITM WHITE
The Gospel Hawker
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 