Sammy Gyamfi, who serves as the National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has stated that his party, which is the main opposition party, is adamantly opposed to the new tax rate of 10% that was implemented by the current government.
Tuesday, August 15 marked the beginning of the implementation of the betting tax.
Sammy Gyamfi noted that despite the fact that betting on sports is undesirable, it has become something of a necessary evil “given the state of hopelessness, joblessness, and excruciating hardships that Ghanaian youths have been plunged into by the insensitive and reckless Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.”
The NDC is vehemently opposed to the 10% Bet Tax – Sammy Gyamfi
In a statement clarifying his earlier remarks on sports betting, he said, “Taxing bet winnings under the current excruciating economic conditions Ghanaians are facing, particularly the high rate of inflation of 43.1% and the highest unemployment rate among others, is insensitive and totally unacceptable.” He was referring to the fact that Ghana currently has the highest unemployment rate in the world.
It is time for the government to stop being so complacent about taxation and start thinking creatively about how to get income from taxes.
If the government has the intention of increasing tax revenue from betting, it should concentrate on taxing multinational or foreign betting companies, as is the case in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions, and not on taxing poor Ghanaian youths who have been forced by the difficult economic conditions in the country to seek refuge in sports betting for their very survival.
