E-levy and Betting Tax Officially Dead: Mahama Signs Bill to Kill Akufo-Addo-Era Taxes
- President John Mahama has assented to the Electronic Transaction Levy (Repeal) Bill to scrap the unpopular tax
- The Electronic Transaction Levy was a 1% tax on all electronic transactions, with a daily free limit and certain exemptions
- Mahama has also assented to the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill and the Emissions Levy (Repeal) Bill
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President John Mahama has officially assented to a series of legislative bills aimed at abolishing several taxes, including the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), Betting Tax, and Emissions Tax.
This move aligns with the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) commitment to alleviating the financial burden on Ghanaians.
Source: Twitter
Government communications shared photos of Mahama assenting to the bill, in fulfilment of one of his major taxation promises.
On March 13, 2025, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented eight bills to Parliament, targeting the repeal and amendment of various taxes and levies.
These bills included the Electronic Transfer Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025; Emissions Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025; Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment (Amendment) Bill, 2025, among others.
What are these controversial Ghanaian taxes?
The e-levy was a 1% tax on all electronic transactions, with a daily free limit of GH¢100 and specific exemptions.
At the time, the Akufo-Addo government said this was part of a seven-point agenda aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and accelerating economic transformation.
The levy has been wildly unpopular and sparked protests from regular Ghanaians and mobile money vendors.
Eventually, Akufo-Addo's Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia, pledged to scrap it if he was elected to lead the country.
For betting, a 10% withholding tax on betting and lotteries was introduced on August 15, 2023, to raise about GH¢400 million annually.
The Ghana Revenue Authority planned to implement the 10% withholding tax on the gross winnings from all lotteries from January 2024.
National Lottery Authority and Private Lotto Operators were granted a six-month extension to prepare and implement the tax.
With the pledge to scrap the tax, Mahama previously said he would explore alternatives to the betting tax if he came to power.
Some business groups and NGOs in Ghana had been voicing their opposition to the emissions levy with the Ghana Union of Traders Association, for example, saying the emission levy would contribute to double taxation.
Ghana's budget: concern over revenue projections
In comments to YEN.com.gh, policy analyst Alfred Appiah noted that the scrapped taxes could negatively affect revenue projections.
He believes projects in the budget could be very optimistic. In the 2025 budget, total revenue and grants for 2025 were projected at GH¢223.8 billion.
"Since government is planning to scrap taxes and still invest in projects, there’s a chance that it overstated revenue to signal that all is well."
Source: Getty Images
No new taxes in 2025 budget
YEN.com.gh also previously reported that there were no new taxes in the 2025 budget presented by the Finance Minister.
This was in line with recent assurances from Dr Forson and Deputy Finance Minister-designate Thomas Nyarko Ampem.
The government said it wanted to focus on improving tax compliance and expanding the tax base through other means.
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Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.
Bruce Douglas (Senior Copyeditor) Bruce Douglas has 13 years of experience in community media, including coverage of sports, human interest, crime and politics.
