Cleric wants taxes slashes as COVID-19 bailout

• Rhema Christian Church Begins World Convention Today
The Presiding Bishop of Rhema Christian Church and Towers (RCC&T), Dr. Taiwo Akinola, has called on government to reduce taxations and grant some organisations, especially the small and medium scale businesses, a tax holiday as some of the ways to encourage them to remain in business after four months of COVID-19 lockdown.

Akinola said this, while addressing the media on the Rhema World Convention 2020, held at the Champion House, Otta, and also to unveil the church’s programmes, which will run from today, November 1 to November 8.

He noted that instead of piling up taxes, government should rather cut down the huge cost of governance to conserve fund for its various projects, as this will save the nation’s economy that is presently going through its worst state from sliding down to depression.

The cleric disclosed that prices of goods and services are on the increase, while electric power supply and other infrastructure are in a bad state, thereby making some companies, which cannot bear the rising cost of production to close shop.

He called on government to do the needful in this regard, as this will help grow the local industries and create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.

He urged government to take decisive and meaningful actions to protect the youths and truly reform the security services, as well as other areas of public life, to usher in new era of accountability, transparency and justice.

The Bishop also called on the youth to desist from all forms of lawlessness and give government a chance to act, saying lawlessness does no one any good.