Elimination of betting tax and e-levy are the positives of 2025 budget – Richard Ahiagbah

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed support for some aspects of the 2025 budget statement, acknowledging some positives, while raising significant reservations about the overall financial plan.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, March 26, the Director of Communications for the NPP, Richard Ahiagbah, commended Parliament’s decision to repeal the e-levy tax earlier today, a move he welcomed as a step in the right direction for the country.

In his address, he stated, “The elimination of the 10% betting tax and the e-levy tax is certainly one of the positive aspects of the 2025 budget.”

He explained that the NPP had intended to repeal these taxes if they had won the 2024 general election, emphasising that this was part of their commitment to easing the financial burden on Ghanaians.

However, Mr Ahiagbah expressed concerns about the overall structure of the budget, suggesting that without these tax cuts, the rest of the budget offers little to address the pressing needs of the people.

“If you remove these taxes, the remainder of the 2025 budget offers very little in terms of meeting the expectations of our people,” he said.

He also pointed out that dissatisfaction with the budget is widespread, noting, “The discontent with this budget is not a new issue, and it is no secret that the NPP opposes it.”

Mr Ahiagbah assured the public that the NPP would continue engaging in discussions about the budget.

“In the coming days, we will engage in conversations with the public about the budget, and we are confident that as time passes, Ghanaians will realise that choosing the NDC over the NPP was a mistake,” he concluded.