Betting Tax to be Scrapped – Thomas Nyarko Ampem

The Deputy Minister of Finance-designate, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has reiterated  that the government will scrap the betting tax as President John Dramani Mahama promised during the campaign period.

In a move to fulfill President John Mahama’s campaign promises, the government is set to scrap the betting tax, along with the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy), in the 2025 budget. This announcement was made by Thomas Nyarko Ampem, the Deputy Minister of Finance-designate, who assured that the cancellation of these taxes would be reflected in the budget reading scheduled for March 11, 2025 ¹.

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His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s repeated pledge to abolish the levies, which have been widely criticised by businesses and individuals.

Ampem emphasized that the decision to remove these taxes is aimed at alleviating the burden on Ghanaians, as promised by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 general elections. He also noted that the government would explore alternative revenue streams to compensate for the loss of revenue from these taxes ¹.

Mr Ampem assured Ghanaians that the removal of these taxes would be reflected in the national budget, which is scheduled to be presented on March 11.

Betting Tax Will Be Scrapped

According to Ampem, the government has identified a significant gap in Value-Added Tax (VAT) collection, with only 39% of potential VAT revenue being collected. By improving tax collection, the government hopes to make up for the revenue shortfall resulting from the removal of the E-levy and betting tax ¹.

“The President has made it clear that he will deliver on the promises he made to Ghanaians. That includes removing the e-levy and betting tax,” Mr Ampem said.

This development is expected to bring relief to many Ghanaians who have been affected by these taxes. The official confirmation of the tax cancellations is expected to come from Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson during the budget presentation on March 11, 2025 ².