The Finance Minister has announced the government's plan to abolish several taxes, including the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy), the COVID-19 Levy, and the 10% tax on lottery winnings (betting tax).

According to Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, these five bills are expected to be laid before Parliament on Wednesday, March 13.

“I will be going to Parliament to submit the bills, and I expect Parliament to take them through a certificate of urgency,” Dr. Forson stated 

The move to abolish these taxes follows Dr. Forson’s announcement during the presentation of the government’s first budget statement on March 11.

In addition to scrapping the E-Levy and betting tax, the government has also proposed abolishing the Emissions Tax and other levies.

On the back of this, he expressed confidence that the repeals would be swift, given their simplicity. 

“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 are quite easy,” he added.

The Finance Minister stated that the nature of the bills allows them to be presented under a certificate of urgency, ensuring a speedy process. 

“It’s a revenue bill, and under the Constitution, you have any way to lay finance bills under a certificate of urgency,” he explained.

Dr. Forson assured that once Parliament passes the bills, President John Dramani Mahama will sign them into law immediately.

He stated these while speaking in an interview on  JoyNews PM Express on Tuesday, March 11.