A number of legislative bills that aim to eliminate certain taxes, including the betting tax, emission tax, and electronic transfer levy (e-levy), were signed into law by President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday.
In addition, MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett has stressed that the abolition cannot occur immediately following the presidential accent in response to public outcry regarding when the e-levy will be fully eliminated from electronic money transactions.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) must grant regulatory permission.
Speaking on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at MTN House in Accra, Mr. Blewett recognized the public’s expectation while emphasizing the importance of following regulatory protocols.
“Until I am instructed to do so, I cannot eliminate the E-Levy. The Bank of Ghana will catch me if I do it before the deadline. Therefore, we have a procedure that must be followed, and we will do so,” he stated.
Although the government has indicated that it intends to eliminate the charge, he underlined that telecom companies such as MTN must adhere to official instructions prior to making any modifications.
Along with highlighting the E-Levy’s detrimental effects on mobile money transactions, Mr. Blewett expressed hope that the industry would recover if it were eliminated.
He said, “The E-Levy was abolished in order to promote the growth of mobile money.”
He promised that MTN would only execute the move after obtaining formal instructions, even though he acknowledged that the removal is anticipated to increase digital transactions and financial inclusion.
“We’ll adhere to the procedure. Additionally, mobile money will recover its strength once it is gone.
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Bills to repeal the E-Levy, Betting Tax, and Emissions Levy are signed by President Mahama.
The Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), the Betting Tax, and the Emissions Tax are among the controversial levies that President John Dramani Mahama has signed into law.
The action satisfies a major campaign pledge made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to alleviate Ghanaians’ financial burden.
The signing comes after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented eight tax-related proposals to Parliament on March 13, 2025.
A number of tax laws, including the Electronic Transfer Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025, the Emissions Levy (Repeal) Bill, 2025, the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment (Amendment) Bill, 2025, were intended to be repealed and amended by the proposed legislation.
First implemented in 2022, the E-Levy levied a one percent fee on electronic transactions, including online payments and mobile money transfers. Its detractors said that it disproportionately impacted companies and common people, making it extremely unpopular with the general public.
Similar to this, stakeholders in the gaming industry opposed the Betting Tax because they saw it as punitive. The Betting Tax levied a 10% tax on gross gambling winnings.
In keeping with his 2024 campaign promise to do away with these taxes within his first 120 days in office, President Mahama has decided to do so. After the bill was ratified, he said, “Today, we have fulfilled the commitment we made to the people of Ghana.”
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