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‘It doesn’t encourage hard work’ – Majority Leader justifies 10% withholding tax on betting, lottery winnings
Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has justified the Ghana Revenue Authority’s 10% withholding tax on all gross gaming winnings scheduled to commence on Tuesday, August 15.
According to him, betting does not encourage hard work but rather teaches people to engage in lazy activities.
Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Angel FM on Thursday, the Suame MP advised the youth to work hard and quit betting.
In his view, God only blesses hard and does not encourage lazy behaviors.
“I don’t believe in betting. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work and sweating to get money. Let’s be serious. As for me, I’m against betting coming into the country. I don’t support it because it doesn’t encourage hard work.”
“As an individual, I don’t engage in lottery because I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe in luck. Work hard so God will bless it.”
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has announced that it will start with the implementation of a 10% withholding tax on all gross gaming winnings from August 15, 2023.
According to the Authority, the previous 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) rate on each stake will no longer be applied. Instead, withholding tax will be imposed on earnings that are accrued after each win.
The GRA further explained that the new policy is in line with an amendment to the Income Tax Act 2023 (No.2), Act 1094.
A Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division at the GRA, Edward Gyamerah said there would be a punitive measure against any gaming company that disregards the new policy.
He stated that companies that flout the law would be subjected to fines, including having their licenses revoked.
“From August 15, we expect that when you are making the payments, you will withhold 10 percent to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). As you have been appointed as withholding agents, the obligation is on you to withhold”, he said.
The GRA also announced amendment to the Excise Duty Act, which has expanded the scope of excise duty to cover all fruit juices and also provide a change in rates for some products.
Following this, many Ghanaians have criticised the government and the GRA for the move. But the Majority Leader says the criticisms are unfounded.
Credit: Myjoyonline.com
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
