Sammi Awuku challenges Ato Forson, how do you abolish a tax that was never implemented?
In a sharp rebuttal to the 2025 Budget Statement, former Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku, has dismissed the government’s claim that it has abolished the 10% tax on lottery winnings. Awuku described the announcement as a misleading attempt to gain political points, insisting that the tax was never enforced under the previous administration.
Awuku Challenges Government’s Narrative
Reacting to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s budget presentation, Awuku questioned the legitimacy of claiming to abolish a tax that was never implemented in practice.
“After listening to today’s budget presentation, I couldn’t help but notice a rather misleading claim that the government has abolished the 10% lottery tax on winnings,” Awuku stated.
“But let’s be honest: how do you abolish a tax that was never implemented?”
He clarified that while the tax was initially proposed, extensive consultations with stakeholders—including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and then-Finance Minister Mohammed Amin Adams—revealed that enforcing it would cripple the lottery sector and unfairly burden players. As a result, the previous administration decided against its implementation.
“The truth is, the NPP government had already made the decision not to burden Ghanaians with this lottery tax because we understood its impact,” he argued.
Lottery vs. Betting: A Deliberate Conflation?
Awuku also highlighted a critical distinction between lottery and betting, pointing out that the National Lottery Authority operates under the Ministry of Finance, whereas betting is regulated by the Gaming Commission under the Ministry of the Interior. He suggested that the government’s attempt to conflate the two might be a strategic political move.
“Hon. Amin Adams won’t be wrong to say the betting tax was never collected anyway since the Finance Minister also referred to the 10% on lottery wins as ‘betting tax.’ If that’s what the Finance Minister calls betting tax, then it was never implemented, even though it was passed in 2023,” he added.
Calls for Transparency in Policy Communication
Awuku concluded by urging greater transparency and honesty in policymaking, emphasizing that governance should be about real impact rather than political rhetoric.
“Ghanaians deserve honesty, not spin. Policies should be about real impact, not just headlines.”
His remarks have intensified the debate over the government’s claim, prompting further scrutiny into whether the tax was ever truly enforced and raising fresh questions about transparency in fiscal policy decisions.
SOURCE : DEW360.NET
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