Mahamudu Bawumia to abolish E-levy, betting tax

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to abolish E-levy and the betting tax if Ghanaians voted for him as President. The NPP presidential candidate made the promise during the launch of the party’s Election 2024 manifesto in the Western Region.

According to the current head of Ghana’s Economic Management Team, abolishing the E-levy is a way to invest in local talent. He said the government would use that to support technology start-ups by encouraging the adoption of digital technologies in Ghana.

“We will fast-track Ghana’s transformation into Africa’s digital hub through strategic policies, incentives, and investments. This includes investing in local talent and tech start-ups while abolishing the E-Levy.”

According to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the next NPP-led government would offer broader tax reforms to provide tax incentives to all Ghanaians and businesses. He said it is aimed at giving everyone a fresh start.

“We’ll implement broad tax reforms, offering a one-time tax amnesty to all Ghanaians and corporate entities, wiping the slate clean from previous tax obligations. This will give everyone a fresh start in their tax journey.”

Additionally, Mahamudu Bawumia promised to reform the current VAT structure to eliminate the current cascading effect. He then added that the withholding tax for small-scale gold exports would be reduced to 1% while the betting tax would be eliminated.

“We will reform the Value Added Tax system by consolidating all levies into a single line item, which will be treated as part of input and output VAT, eliminating the cascading effect of the current regime.

“We’ll also reduce Withholding Tax for small-scale gold exports to 1% to curb smuggling, and abolish the Betting Tax.”