Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister has laid before Parliament the Electronic Transfer Levy (Repeal) Bill 2025, the Emissions Levy (Repeal) Bill 2025 and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2025.
The finance minister in an interview with JOYNEWS hinted at submitting the bills under the certificate of urgency.
Speaking on JOYNEWS, Ato Forson stated, “Tomorrow morning, I will be going to Parliament to submit the bills, and I expect Parliament to take them through a certificate of urgency.
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 is quite easy, It’s a revenue bill, and under the Constitution, you have any way to lay finance bills under a certificate of urgency.
“I assure you that I will do my bid tomorrow and submit it to Parliament, and looking at the urgency involved, I’m hopeful that Parliament will take it through the various stages and approve it for us,” Dr Forson added.
Ato Forson affirmed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority caucus fully backs the initiative.
“As for the backing of the NDC Majority caucus, we have it 100%,” he added.
In parliament yesterday 13 March 2025 he laid the bill seeking to scrap the E-levy, the emissions levy, and to remove the 10 percent withholding tax on bet winnings.
Bernard Ahiafor, the First Deputy Speaker has referred the bills to the Finance Committee for consideration and report to the house.
Meanwhile, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister on 11 March 2025 reiterated, that the Mahama government will scrap the E-levy, Emission levy, betting tax and other taxes.
According to Ato Forson, the government attempt to review the Value Added Tax system, and the government will also eventually abolish the COVID-19 levy.
Speaking during the 2025 budget reading Ato Forson stated, “Mr Speaker, we will abolish the 10% withholding tax on winnings from lottery, otherwise known as the ‘Betting Tax’; we will abolish the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) of 1%; we will abolish the Emission Levy on industries and vehicles; we will abolish the VAT on motor vehicle insurance policy; and we will abolish the 1.5% withholding tax on winning of unprocessed gold by small-scale miners”.
“Mr. Speaker, the removal of these taxes will ease the burden on households and improve their disposable incomes. In addition, it will support business growth and improve tax compliance”, he added.
Watch the video below:
Repeal of taxes: Finance Minister lays bills before Parliament to abolish e-levy, betting tax, others.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/Tul9w1dS7N
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) March 13, 2025
