Sammi Awuku, former National Lottery Authority (NLA) Director-General and current MP for Akuapem North, has expressed his excitement and endorsement of the government’s plan to abolish the betting tax.
In an interview with Daily Guide Network (DGN), Awuku stated, “I’m excited that the betting tax is going to be scrapped… I’ve been consistent about it, even during the NPP era, and I said it is something that personally has not worked in many of the jurisdictions anytime you have introduced taxes on betting.”
Sammi Awuku, a vocal critic of the tax, emphasized its counterproductive nature, particularly concerning government-owned institutions like the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
“Lottery was part of the betting tax. The National Lottery Authority, for instance, is owned by the government, and apart from the things that they do, at the end of the day, they must also contribute to the national kitty,” he explained.
He further highlighted the dilemma posed by the tax, which made illegal betting operators more attractive to players. “If the government is taxing itself, then what will happen is that the underground operators that we call the illegal operators, they will become emboldened. If you play with the government, you attract a 10% tax on what you win. But if you play with the illegals, you get your full money. So, I told them that, for me, it was counterproductive,” Awuku noted.
Additionally, Awuku criticized the inconsistencies within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. “The difficulty with the NDC position is that earlier the Finance Minister-designate, in time past, had said that it should be banned—not just the tax being scrapped,” he pointed out.
-BY Daniel Bampoe