The government will present a bill to Parliament today, March 13, to abolish several taxes, including the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy), the COVID-19 Levy, and the 10% tax on lottery winnings, commonly known as the betting tax.
Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson announced this on JoyNews on Tuesday, March 11. He stated that the bills would be submitted under a certificate of urgency to ensure swift consideration by Parliament.
“Tomorrow morning, I will be going to Parliament to submit the bills, and I expect Parliament to take them through a certificate of urgency,” Dr. Forson said.
This follows his earlier declaration during the 2025 Budget Statement presentation on March 11, where he also proposed scrapping the Emissions Tax and other levies.
Dr. Forson expressed confidence that the repeal process would be quick, as the bills are straightforward.
“Repealing the taxes will be one clause each. Repealing the betting tax is very easy. The E-Levy and all of those things we are repealing are quite simple,” he noted.
He further emphasized that the bills meet the constitutional requirements for expedited passage.
“It’s a revenue bill, and under the Constitution, finance bills can be laid under a certificate of urgency,” he explained.
Once Parliament approves the bills, Dr. Forson assured that President John Dramani Mahama will sign them into law without delay.
Source: JoyNews
