Former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has refuted claims that the previous administration implemented the controversial Betting Tax, asserting that it was never enforced during his tenure.
His statement comes in response to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s announcement in the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, presented on March 11, 2025. The budget declared the abolition of several taxes, including the Betting Tax and the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
Addressing a press conference organized by the Minority in Parliament, Dr. Amin Adam criticized the current administration’s claim of abolishing the Betting Tax, calling it deceptive. He emphasized that since the tax was never collected under the previous government, announcing its abolition is misleading.
“Betting tax that they said they have abolished—we never collected Betting Tax. So, to come and tell Ghanaians that you have abolished something that you have not implemented is to deceive the people of Ghana,” Dr. Amin Adam stated.
The Betting Tax, introduced under the previous government, imposed a 10% withholding tax on winnings from sports betting and lottery. Despite facing significant backlash from industry stakeholders and the public, Dr. Amin Adam maintains that the policy was not enforced before the administration left office.
In August 2024, then-presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, pledged to abolish both the E-Levy and the Betting Tax if elected. During the party’s manifesto launch in Takoradi on August 18, 2024, Dr. Bawumia stated, “We’ll also reduce Withholding Tax for small-scale gold exports to 1% to curb smuggling and abolish the Betting Tax.”
The current administration’s claim of abolishing the Betting Tax has sparked discussions among the public and stakeholders, with some questioning the necessity of abolishing a tax that was purportedly never implemented.
As the debate continues, clarity on the status and enforcement of the Betting Tax remains a focal point in discussions surrounding the 2025 budget and the government’s fiscal policies.
