2025 Budget: Betting Tax Never Collected, Says Ex-Finance Minister

Former Finance Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam, has strongly denied claims that his administration implemented the controversial betting tax, which is now being abolished as part of the 2025 Budget.

In a press conference, Adam clarified that the tax, introduced under the previous government, was never collected during his tenure.

This statement came after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2025 Budget Statement, which included the abolition of several taxes, including the Betting Tax and the E-Levy.

Dr. Forson’s announcement led to claims that the government was rolling back policies introduced in the past.

However, Adam described these claims as misleading, saying, “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.”

The Betting Tax, which imposed a 10% withholding tax on sports betting and lottery winnings, sparked controversy when it was introduced under the previous administration.

Despite the backlash from industry players and the public, Dr. Amin Adam insists the policy was never enforced before the end of his tenure.

The matter became a significant topic during the 2024 election campaign, when Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the then-presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), promised to abolish both the E-Levy and the Betting Tax.

The promise was reaffirmed during his manifesto launch in Takoradi in August 2024.

As the 2025 Budget continues to draw attention, social media users are already reacting, with many questioning the claims surrounding the implementation of the betting tax.

The issue has become a hot topic of debate as Ghanaians await further details.