Government’s claim of providing significant tax relief in the 2025 Budget has been challenged by the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi and Ranking Member on the Economy and Development Committee of Parliament, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
He argues that contrary to the Finance Minister’s announcement during the budget presentation yesterday, only two of the 6 taxes listed for removal have actually been abolished. According to him, this misrepresentation misleads Ghanaians into believing they are receiving more relief than they actually are.
Speaking in an interview with Movement TV on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah criticized the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, for what he described as an attempt to “deceive” the public into believing that the government has provided substantial tax relief.
“The government claims to have removed 6 taxes, but when you carefully examine the budget appendices, you will realize that only two have actually been removed—the 1% Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy) and the 1.5% withholding tax on the mining of unprocessed gold by small-scale miners,” he stated.
The six taxes the government listed as abolished in the 2025 Budget include the 1% E-Levy, the 10% withholding tax on lottery winnings (which the Finance Minister referred to as the betting tax), the emission levy on industrial vehicles, VAT on motor vehicle insurance policies, the 1.5% withholding tax on unprocessed gold by small-scale miners, and the 1% COVID-19 levy.
However, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah argued that four of these taxes remain in effect, despite the government’s claim. “If you take a closer look, you will see that the emission levy, VAT on motor vehicle insurance, the betting tax, and the 1% COVID-19 levy have not been scrapped as claimed. The appendices of the budget clearly show this,” he emphasized.
He further called on the Finance Minister to be truthful with Ghanaians and provide clarity on the status of the remaining four taxes. “We cannot allow the government to create a false impression. If you are truly providing relief, it must be evident in policy implementation, not just in political rhetoric,” he added.
The debate over the government’s tax policy is expected to intensify in Parliament as government prepares to present its appropriation for consideration.
