EXEMPT TAX ON IMPORTED LEARNING MATERIALS ………educationist appeals to govt

An educationist and businessman in the Northern Region of Ghana, has asked government to award tax exemptions to private individuals and groups who import educational materials geared towards the improvement of the falling standard of education in the area.

This in his estimation would help bridge the yawning development gap between the North and South of the country considering the fact that there is high illiteracy rate in the Northern Region.

According to Abdul-Razak Abdullai, enormous opportunities abound for many more businesses to be setup by indigenes and non-indigenes alike but they are often deterred by the huge taxes they had to pay when they are to import certain learning materials for charity purposes or expand their facilities.

Mr. Abdul-Razak, who is owner of SandAbbi Hotel and Chief Executive of SandAbbi International School, made this request to government during the commissioning of the school in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

He further called on Chiefs in the area to support people who have the vision to bring development to their communities with lands to enable them implement their intentions.

The school which is part of several other educational projects being initiated by SandAbbi Foundation with support from its partners MakeIT4Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation based in Europe, is under a Comprehensive Child Development Plan (CCDP) worth several millions of dollars.

Through this partnership, SandAbbi International School gets support in the form of computers, furniture and Books while some of them are also distributed to deprived schools in rural communities in the Northern Region.

The first phase of the ultra-modern school which will run from Crèche to Kindergarten/Preparatory School has well structured and well equipped classrooms, library, state-of-the-art Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, and among other facilities.

Management also plans to establish Junior High and Senior High Schools including a University to deal with the high rate of illiteracy and underdevelopment in Northern Ghana in the near future. Statistics show that over 70 percent of the population in the North cannot read and write or has never been to school and over 80 percent live on less than a dollar a day.

The Chief Executive of SandAbbi International School therefore, pledged to assist the government in its “Better Ghana Agenda” by providing quality education in the region by creating an opportunity for children in this part of the country to have equal access to education just as the situation has been in Europe and other places.

In a speech read for him, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, San Nasamu Asabigi also urged individuals and organisations who intend to import materials, equipment and other resources that are intended to support in the educational sector especially in the area, to open up with beneficiary communities and government institutions that can advised government to consider giving tax exemptions to such goods for the benefit of the people.