The government has described as jaundiced journalism reports that it plans to tax churches and mosques as part of the 2011 budget. A statement issued by the Minister for Information, John Akologu Tia, said claims by the Accra-based the Daily Guide newspaper that the government will impose taxes on religious bodies is mischievous and assured them of their tax free status. The Daily Guide in its Friday, November 19 edition published the story with the banner headline “Mills Killer Budget….Churches, Mosques Pay Taxes”. “I want to assure adherents of the various religions, including Christians and Muslims, that no tax has been imposed on churches and mosques under next year’s budget”, the Minister said. The minister quoted from the budget statement a portion it suspects the Daily Guide may have ‘deliberately distorted’ and emphasized that it is not correct. “Madam Speaker, some institutions enjoy tax-free status because of the original non-profit motive that established them. However, in recent times, some of these institutions have expanded their scope of operation to include commercial activities, thereby making substantive profits but not paying taxes on them. Madam Speaker, government will amend the law to allow the Commissioner-General to tax all commercial activities undertaken by the affected institutions.” Written by Adwoa Gyasiwaa/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana