Chief calls for special tax for the disabled

Techiman (Brong Ahafo), 26 Jan. '99 -

Nana Owusu Gyare, Akwamuhene of the Techiman traditional area, has asked the government to institute a national disabled tax of 50 cedis a worker a month to cater for physically disabled persons in the society.

The tax will generate about 250 million cedis a month to enhance the creation of employment opportunities for Ghana's 1.2 million disabled persons..

Nana Owusu Gyare was speaking at a fund raising harvest of the Techiman district branch of the Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled at which about 600,000 cedis was realised.

He said if the tax becomes operational, fund raising activities by disabled organisations would no longer be necessary.

The district secretary of the society, Mr Osei Bonsu, said the proceeds would be used to establish a workshop to provide employable skills for the disabled.

Mr Francis Yaw Gyarko, the District Chief Executive, assured them of government's preparedness to provide credit facilities through the poverty alleviation package and asked them to start something viable and apply for such credit facilities.