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Sammy Gyamfi Esq. writes on betting tax
My attention has been drawn to desperate attempts by some NPP social media activists to put a spin on a comment I made about sports betting in the run-up to the 2020 elections.In response to a question on how the NDC intends to fund the Sports Development Fund we promised in our 2020 manifesto, I indicated in the said interview, that that the NDC will consider imposing a tax on sports betting “as it’s done in the UK”.
The question every objective mind ought to ask, therefore, is what pertains in the UK relative to taxation on sports betting?The answer is simple!
In the UK, bet winnings are not taxed. Rather, bet companies are heavily taxed. See https://www.newbettingsites.co/articles/how-much-tax-do-betting-companies-pay/
This is the example I cited and indicated that a future NDC government will consider post 2020.
The new 10% tax on bet winnings that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government has introduced is the direct opposite of what pertains in the UK and the position I canvassed in 2020.
Don’t be misled!For the sake of clarity and emphasis, the NDC is vehemently opposed to the 10% tax that has been imposed by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government on bet winnings;
1. Sports betting although undesirable, has become a necessary evil given the state of hopelessness, joblessness and excruciating hardships that Ghanaian youths have been plunged into by the insensitive and reckless Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.
2. Taxing bet winnings under the current excruciating economic conditions Ghanaians are facing, particularly, the high rate of inflation of 43.1% and the highest unemployment rate among others, is insensitive and totally unacceptable.
3. Government should be innovative in its bid to increase tax revenue and stop this lazy approach to taxation. If government is minded to raise tax revenue from betting, its focus should be on taxing multinational/foreign bet companies as it pertains in the UK and other jurisdictions and not poor Ghanaian youths who have been compelled by the harsh economic conditions in the country to seek refuge in sports betting for their very survival.
4. More importantly, the new 10% tax on bet winnings introduced by the NPP contravenes the government’s social contract with Ghanaians.
That social contract is to the effect that; “taxation is a lazy approach to governance” and that an NPP government will “reduce the tax burden on Ghanaians” and move the country from “taxation to production”.
Contrary to this promise, the current NPP government has introduced over 25 tax handles since they took office in 2017- a clear betrayal of the trust of Ghanaians. These taxes have conspired to make life unbearable for the vast majority of Ghanaians, particularly the youths who can’t find jobs.
The NDC will not and cannot lend its support to the double standards the NPP continues to display relative to taxation, particularly at this time of unprecedented hardships.5.
Undoubtedly, Sports Betting has become a refuge for the millions of Ghanaian unemployed youths who have been compelled by the economic mismanagement of the NPP to depend on betting for survival. Imposing a 10% tax on bet winnings is therefore cruel.
Given the difficult times we find ourselves in, the NDC fully supports calls for the immediate scrapping of the newly introduced 10% tax on bet winnings.
This is the official position of the great NDC on the newly-introduced 10% tax on bet winnings.
Sammy Gyamfi Esq.
National Communications Officer
National Democratic Congress
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
