Dr. Tina Abrefa-Gyan, a social worker and an activist on gender and development issues on Monday called on the government to give tax reliefs to organisations and individuals helping to address humanitarian issues.

She said with appreciable tax incentives, philanthropy work would be fully regularised in the country and motivate well-to-do people to support charitable work.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday, Dr. Abrefa-Gyan, an Assistant Professor, Norfolk State University in the United States, explained that providing tax reliefs, exemptions and holidays, would position and motivate philanthropists and philanthropic organisations to expand humanitarian aid.

Any humanitarian’s goal, she explained, was to save lives, relieve suffering and maintain human dignity, which could be done in the form of rescuing and providing security, food and shelter to the vulnerable and homeless people.

“Humanitarians promote human welfare and ideas of people, they bring about change in the normal behavioural patterns of a society and provide relief by giving money or necessities for those in need”, Dr. Abrefa-Gyan said.

But, she regretted that high and multiplicity of taxes remained identifiable factor and a major setback impeding philanthropic work in the country.

Dr. Abrefa-Gyan appealed to the business community to give to the poor and the needy in society, saying that, the culture of giving would be more attractive when the government implemented policies that give tax cuts and incentives to givers.

“With these together, we can build a better-resourced society while strengthening our democracy and economy too by using this collective strategy”, she added.