“I concede that my statement may have been misleading without the clarifications”- Dr. Amin Adam
Former Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has called on his successor, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, to provide a clearer explanation regarding his plan to abolish the 10% withholding tax on betting winnings.
Dr. Adam made this statement on Thursday, March 13, while responding to the 2025 National Budget, which was presented by Dr. Forson in Parliament on Tuesday, March 11.
During the budget reading, Dr. Forson announced that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government would scrap the controversial tax, which was introduced under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. However, Dr. Adam countered that although the tax had been implemented, it was never enforced or collected.
Speaking in response to Dr. Forson’s remarks the former Finance Minister insisted that the confusion surrounding the tax stemmed from the current minister’s statements, rather than his own.
“If you want to abolish the betting tax, you have to be very clear about that because you cannot use the betting tax to generalize tax on other games of chance,” Dr. Adam stated.
He further clarified that while his earlier comments may have caused some misunderstanding, the responsibility for clearing up the issue ultimately lies with Dr. Forson.
“This was my confusion as well. And so, while I concede that my statement may have been misleading without the clarifications I have provided today, the confusion about the betting tax or lottery winnings tax is not mine. It is the Minister’s confusion, and the Minister must come out and clarify that,” he added.
The debate over the betting tax continues to spark conversations among policymakers, industry stakeholders, and citizens, as they await further details from the government.
