Sammi Awuku has challenged the Finance Minister’s claim that the government has abolished the 10% tax on lottery winnings, calling it a misleading statement aimed at scoring political points.
Reacting to the 2025 budget presentation by Finance Minister Ato Forson, Awuku clarified that lottery and betting are distinct, with different regulatory bodies—the National Lottery Authority (NLA) under the Ministry of Finance and betting regulated by the Gaming Commission under the Ministry of the Interior.
“But let’s be honest: how do you abolish a tax that was never implemented?” Awuku questioned, emphasizing that although the 10% tax on lottery wins was passed in 2023, it was never enforced due to concerns about its impact on the lottery sector and fairness to players.
He revealed that under the previous NPP administration, extensive consultations led to a decision not to burden Ghanaians with this tax.
He also pointed out an inconsistency in the budget speech, where the Finance Minister referred to the 10% lottery tax as a “betting tax”.
Awuku argued that if that is the case, then the tax was never collected in the first place.
“Ghanaians deserve honesty, not spin. Policies should be about real impact, not just headlines,” he stated, urging the government to focus on issues that genuinely affect livelihoods rather than making claims for political convenience.
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