ISSER opposes scrapping of betting tax

The Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has opposed the scrapping of the betting tax, arguing that the deci­sion was driven more by political expediency than sound economic reasoning.

In a review of the 2025 budget and economic policy of the gov­ernment, the Director of ISSER, Professor Peter Quartey, stated that the government should have maintained the betting tax.

He disclosed that the tax generated approximately GH¢154 million in revenue, which could have been used to support other ventures and create decent jobs for the youth.

Prof. Quartey emphasised that betting was not a sustainable avenue for building the future of the youth.

He explained that the tax was introduced to discourage gam­bling among young people. In other economies, he noted, betting was treated as a leisure activity rather than a means of earning a living.

He argued that betting should not be considered a viable form of employment and maintained that the revenue from the tax could have been redirected to more productive sectors.

Commenting on the govern­ment’s revenue projection, Prof. Quartey described the target of increasing revenue and grants by 20.5 per cent as overly ambitious.

He pointed out that the coun­try had not managed to increase revenue by more than 20 per cent in previous years and suggested that a more realistic target would have been between 10 and 15 per cent. Prof. Quartey also described the government’s inflation target of 11 per cent for 2025 as ambi­tious.

He suggested that the tar­get could be achieved if more attention was given to agriculture, particularly food production, to help reduce the rising cost of food, which was a major driver of inflation last year.

On infrastructure development, Prof. Quartey advised the gov­ernment to explore a Public-Pri­vate Partnership (PPP) approach to address the infrastructure deficit, given the limited fiscal space available for government spending.

Source: ghaniantimes.com.gh

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Samuel

I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos.

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Samuel

I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos.