Religious leaders to account for offertory under new policy

Government is developing a policy that will make it mandatory for religious organisations to account for offertory or any contributions made by devotees in places of prayer and worship, an official has said.

From April 2016, the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity (DEI) in the Office of the President embarked on the development of a National Policy for Religious and Faith Organizations (RFOs).  

The draft policy, which is currently undergoing validation, seeks to enhance collaboration between RFOs and government- and to promote their full participation in enhancing social service delivery, economic development as well as accountability.

Alex B. Okello, the permanent secretary at the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity, clarified that the policy dictates there should be transparency when dealing with public resources in prayer centres.

“The biggest confusion which has been going all over the country, people think that a policy is a law. The policy just says let there be transparency in any religious institution. How you put that transparency measure in your institution is up to you,” he clarified.

Okello told Monitor that the policy will not necessarily include taxing religious institutions.  

“They (religious leaders) said we want to tax the money. No! We want those resources that believers give to be used properly,” he said while meeting religious leaders from Lango Sub-region in Lira City on Tuesday.

“Government taxes taxable income. A giving in church or mosque is not an income. It is a developmental money,” he explained.

Rev Canon Aaron Mwesigye, director for Ethics and Religious Affairs at DEI, said the policy is meant to prepare religious leaders so that they can work together with government for national development.

According to him, the ongoing validation is intended to make religious leaders own drafts before the policy is approved by cabinet.

Rev Canon Mwesigye said the policy will put mechanisms that churches or mosques can use to proactively identify and deal with corrupt people.

He denounced trends where apparent law offender are usually arrested and bailed or handed bond to “become corrupt again.””

What religious leaders say  

Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira Catholic Diocese:  “Now, the country will not lose the battle against corruption after we come in because we were not yet fully guided by policy. Corruption has not spared the church because we are all the citizens of the same country and if it is being practiced directly or indirectly you find you’re participating in it.”

Dr Morris Chris Ongom, a pastor and chairperson of National Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Lira branch: “I have scanned through the policy provisions. Everything that the church stands for is sort of captured in the draft… So, I strongly believe that it will inform the church on a new way of thinking because then the roles of religious leaders and their capacity to be able to drive this will be enhanced.”

Rev Canon Richard Opio Atoo, Vicar of All Saints Cathedral Boroboro:  “When you see what Cain and Abel did there was an issue of accountability and transparency. Abel brought a blameless lamb to be sacrificed to the Lord but his brother Cain brought rotten tomatoes which he brought from his garden and when they offered, they discovered that the one of Caine was not accepted which forced Caine to kill his brother Abel. That was corruption.”

Sheikh Ibrahim Okello, deputy District Khadi of Lango Muslim District: “The framework in place will enable us to use our structures so that whoever is corrupt is dealt with.”