Ghana’s parliament has repealed the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), a tax on mobile money transactions that had sparked public outcry since its introduction.
- •The move is aimed at boosting digital transactions and providing much-needed relief for users.
- •First introduced in 2022, the E-Levy was meant to broaden the tax base and boost tax revenues but it instead had a negative effect on revenues.
- •Repealing the E-Levy was a major campaign promise of President Mahama’s campaign in 2024.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Investors, Parliament has just passed the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which abolishes the ‘Betting Tax’ and other levies. I have no doubt that H.E. President John Dramani Mahama will be more than willing to sign it into law without delay. Promise Kept!” Ghana’s Finance Minister Cassiel Ata Forson said in a post on X.
The levy was originally set at 1.5% for all mobile money transactions before it was reduced to 1% in 2023.
The reduction was driven by the public outcry and the significant reduction in tax revenues as users reverted to using cash.
The slew of tax amendments also includes scrapping the 10% withholding tax on bet winnings and gaming, the carbon emissions levy, and the 1.5% withholding tax on unprocessed gold from small-scale miners.
