Former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has exposed the 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for misleading Ghanaians with his campaign promise to abolish the betting tax.
According to Dr. Amin Adam, the tax was never implemented under the Akufo-Addo administration, making Bawumia’s pledge deceptive.
During the NPP’s manifesto launch in Takoradi on August 18, 2024, Dr. Bawumia assured Ghanaians that, if elected, he would eliminate the controversial betting tax alongside the E-Levy, emphasizing his commitment to easing the tax burden.
“We’ll also reduce Withholding Tax for small-scale gold exports to 1% to curb smuggling, and abolish the Betting Tax,” he declared.
However, following the presentation of the 2025 Budget by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, Dr. Amin Adam accused the current government of misleading the public by claiming to have abolished a tax that was never enforced.
“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 lashed out.
Government Counters Claims with Hard Facts
Dr. Ato Forson has dismissed Amin Adam’s claims, labeling them as baseless and proof that the former minister “is not on top of the matter.”
According to Dr. Forson, the betting tax was actively enforced and generated significant revenue for the state.
“So I don’t know what he is talking about. It is not a fact,” he stated, revealing that the tax had already contributed GH₵80 million to state coffers.
Public records further contradict Amin Adam’s assertion. In October 2023, the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) confirmed that the betting tax had generated GH₵15 million in its first month of implementation.
Additionally, in early 2024, the NPP government itself boasted that the betting tax had raked in GH₵1.2 billion. Edward Gyambra, Commissioner in charge of DTRD, even projected a significant increase in betting tax revenue, saying during the first month of implementation, the authority averaged GH¢20 million for the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
“As for the withholding tax, we’ve just started the betting season, but during the lean season, we averaged GH¢15 million. We anticipate this to quadruple by May,” he added.
A pattern of misinformation?
Dr. Amin Adam’s claim has raised eyebrows, with critics accusing him of trying to rewrite history to shield the NPP from criticism.
The betting tax, introduced under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration, was widely condemned for unfairly targeting the youth. Despite this, Bawumia falsely positioned himself as its opponent, even as his government celebrated its revenue gains from the policy.
With the 2025 Budget officially abolishing the tax, analysts argue that the NPP’s narrative has crumbled under the weight of verifiable data. The contradiction between Bawumia’s promise and his party’s actual policies has cast further doubt on his credibility.
By Marani Issah/thenewsbulletin24.com