Former President and flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has pledged to abolish taxes on betting, gaming, and lotteries if elected president.
The 10 percent tax was introduced by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
During a meeting at the Bukom Arena in Accra, the former president explained that gambling provides young people with a means to support themselves amid the challenging economic conditions the nation is experiencing.
“Many young people are struggling to find jobs, so they turn to betting to get some money for their basic needs. I understand this situation. It’s a matter that concerns the youth greatly, so we have already stated that if we come into office, we will abolish the betting tax,” Mr. Mahama emphasized.
Mr. Mahama acknowledged that while the government needs to find alternative sources of income, the introduction of the betting tax was driven by conditions set out in the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We understand that this government and the IMF have signed an agreement, which is why the betting tax was introduced. However, we need to find alternative revenue sources to compensate for the loss that will result from eliminating the betting tax,” the NDC leader said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Pius Asack|Ghana
