The Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has clarified that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration only implemented taxes on bet winnings and not on lottery winnings as alleged by the current Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson.
“It was the tax on bet winnings. And that was why the minister was gracious enough to come back to Parliament and correct himself,” he said.
Explaining a statement which he made in a press briefing that led to some controversy in the country on Joy News’ PM Express, he stated that the current Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson misrepresented the issue in Parliament, hence, his comments on the betting tax.
“I said that the betting tax they say they have abolished—qualified the word that—because the minister came to Parliament and said he’s going to abolish withholding tax on winnings from the lottery, otherwise known as betting tax as if to equate betting tax to winnings from the lottery.
“Meanwhile, in their manifesto, they said they were going to abolish a 10% withholding tax on bet winnings,” he told host, Evans Mensah on Monday.
According to Mr Amin Adam, the tax on lottery winnings was not implemented, let alone abolishing as indicated by the current government.
“… so my point was that while he’s calling it betting tax, that tax has not been collected. We never implemented that,” he pointed.