2025 budget is empty aside from the removal of e-levy, betting tax which we planned to do — NPP

Richard Ahiagbah, the National Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party

Richard Ahiagbah, the National Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has criticized the 2025 budget statement.

According to him, the budget presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on March 11 offered no real solutions to alleviate the burden on Ghanaians.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, March 26, Mr. Ahiagbah noted that the only notable aspect of the budget was the removal of the e-levy and betting tax, which the NPP had also planned to scrap.

“The elimination of the 10% betting tax and the e-levy is certainly one of the positive aspects of the 2025 budget.

“But if you take away these tax removals, the rest of the 2025 budget offers very little in terms of meeting the expectations of our people,” he said.

During a parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, March 26, lawmakers passed bills to repeal the 10% withholding tax on gaming and lotteries as well as the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).

The bills are now awaiting President John Dramani Mahama’s assent.

Following the bill’s passage, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson took to social media, stating that the government had fulfilled its 2024 campaign promise and that President Mahama would soon sign them into law.

“Ladies and gentlemen, investors,
Parliament has just passed the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which abolishes the ‘betting tax’ and other levies.

“I have no doubt that H.E. President John Dramani Mahama will be more than willing to sign it into law without delay. Promise kept!” he wrote particularly about the betting tax.

Presenting the budget to Parliament on Tuesday, March 11, Dr. Forson stated that the tax removals were aimed at easing the financial burden on Ghanaian households and businesses.