Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam has stated the Betting tax should have stayed.
According to him, as a Muslim his religion frowns upon the act of game of chance.
Speaking on GTV, he stated, “The issue about the E-levy I think he made a promise, and he has scrapped it off, we should commend him for that, but one thing that I am not enthused about because of my religious orientation is the Bet levy.
It should have stayed, for me it will be a disincentive, I don’t want to see any young Muslim entering into any bet, any game of chance because my religion prohibits it completely”.
He further added, “If the president had asked me for my opinion, I would have said Your Excellency when Betting and games of chance become part and parcel of our culture it kills our spirit of hard work. It encourages the seeking of wealth in the shortest way.
There is a reason why God gave us this whole world we must work and earth out our living and through work we develop skills and we take responsibility so you don’t have a system that young people are growing but we do not have the desire to appreciate the value of hard work and want to make money within the shortest possible, I am not enthused about it this is religious and not political”.
His comments come after John Mahama assented to the bills following parliament officially passing the Electronic Transfer Levy Repeal Bill 2025, abolishing the contentious E-Levy that taxed electronic financial transactions in Ghana.
Both the e-levy and betting tax faced strong public opposition, with many in particular arguing the e-levy placed an extra burden on low-income earners and hindered digital operations.
The e-levy was introduced in 2022, initially charged 1.5 per cent and was later reduced to 1 per cent, with the betting tax being introduced in 2023 which took 10 per cent betting wins.
The now finance minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson during his vetting stated that in his first budget as Finance Minister, he would abolish the betting tax and the e-levy.
According to Ato Forson, the betting tax and e-levy have failed to achieve their purpose.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, January 13, Dr Forson stated, “I insist that the betting tax must be abolished, and as Finance Minister, I will abolish it in my first budget because it has failed,”
“My position on the e-levy is well known. I have written articles about it, and my position has not changed,” he stated. The repeal aligns with the government’s push for financial inclusion and aims to encourage the use of digital payment platforms without additional costs. Business owners, mobile money agents, and financial analysts have welcomed the move, anticipating a boost in digital transactions and economic growth.
The repeal of the E-Levy aligns with the government’s efforts to promote financial inclusion and encourage the use of digital payment platforms without imposing additional costs on users.
Many business owners, mobile money agents, and financial analysts had previously criticized the levy, citing its impact on digital transactions and financial accessibility.
The betting tax which taxed a 10% charge on gross winnings from gambling activities, also faced criticism from investors in the gaming industry.
This move aligns with the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) commitment to alleviating the financial burden on Ghanaians and also fulfils Mahama’s campaign pledge to abolish these taxes within his first 120 days in office if elected.
Watch the video below:
“When Betting and games of chance becomes the norm, it kills the spirit of hardwork. It encourages the seeking of wealth in the shortest way possible”
-Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam Sheikh Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu has expressed his displeasure over the repeal of the… pic.twitter.com/c1lBEvA1pO
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) April 3, 2025
