General News
Ban sports betting instead of taxing – Minority leader to gov’t
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, has urged on the government to outlaw sports betting rather than tax it.
He argues that the activity is harming Ghanaian youth and that it should be controlled rather than taxed.
“Ghana today, we are complaining that this gambling is destroying our youth. I have read a number of articles on this. I would have thought the government will come out with a policy to restrict gambling and to even ban it,” he said.
Speaking on PM: Express on JoyNews on Monday, the former Deputy Finance Minister stated that the government should not place too much emphasis on tax mobilisation at the expense of residents.
Dr Ato Forson stated, “Running a country is not all about money.” You must also safeguard society.”
In its 2021 budget submitted to Parliament, the government predicted an annual income loss of more than GHS 300 million owing to leakages in the gambling business.
The Ministries of Finance and Interior have been entrusted with co-supervising the gaming business and consulting with stakeholders in order to develop a comprehensive strategy to boost income mobilisation from this source.
However, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee proposes that the government use the Tax Exemption Bill rather than taxing people and corporations.
“Exemption Bill alone can rake in 2.5% of GDP. Instead of government of Ghana going back to push that Exemption Bill; they have decided to tax us because that is easy” the MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam said.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information Minister, opposes the country’s prohibition on gaming firms. According to him, gambling is not one of the activities prohibited by law in Ghana, but the government may levy greater taxes on the sector, similar to what it does on commodities like cigarettes and alcohol.
“The government is saying that it is noticeable that the gambling space is opened up with a lot of online betting platforms. Just like it does with the National Lottery Authority, it will like to ensure that the proper taxes are accrued from there. It will be double standards if you are allowing NLA and banning all of this one.” MP for Ofoase-Ayirebi said.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah is sceptical of the likelihood of using the Tax Exemption Bill to generate income.
He did, however, advocate implementing a tax on Physical Electronic Devices as one of the most certain ways for the state to acquire cash.
A terrible accident occurred at the base of Galenkui Mountain in Ho, claiming the lives of nine people, including babies.
The terrifying occurrence occurred as a 207 Benz was transporting goods and passengers from Abotoase to Sogakofe.
The car encountered brake failure while descending the mountain, culminating in a collision with a Zoomlion garbage truck.
Initial reports verified seven fatalities at the disaster scene, including newborns and children.
Following that, Mary Dzifa, a nurse at Ho Municipal Hospital, informed Citi News that roughly ten children had died in the disaster.
“I was at our facility yesterday, November 22, when a car rushed in with dead and injured children and injured adults, especially men. Some were attended to at the facility, and the rest who were severely injured were taken to the Ho Teaching Hospital. The dead children will be about 10.”
Officials at the Ho Teaching Hospital said that 32 people were admitted for injuries incurred, with 9 dying as a result of their injuries.
Amos Jah, the Public Relations Officer of Ho Teaching Hospital, said that the injured patients are receiving medical attention and making progress in their rehabilitation.
“I received a call from a friend yesterday who was going back to town and that he saw the accident, so I quickly informed the nurses to be on alert. Some were brought in with pickups, ambulance, tricycles; the situation was very bad, some had broken limbs, some heads almost being severed, some were bleeding from all parts of the body. After two hours, we were able to calm the situation down.”
“We had a total of 30 accident victims brought here. Two others were brought from the Municipal Hospital this morning, making it 32 in all. My information is that we lost 9 of them, 4 are kids and 5 are adults. For the kids, three were brought in dead. Those injured are responding to treatment.”
Dr Adam Bonaa, a security expert, has requested the Oti Regional Minister to restrict all public events in Nkwanta in response to the riots that have taken eight lives.
The fights, in his opinion, were avoidable.
“The Regional Minister and his men must make certain that this never happens again.” This was avoidable, yet 8 people died as a result,” he remarked on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Tuesday, November 21.
He further suggested that “It is important to suspend all public activities that are likely to take place by the two factions, this is the surest way of letting them know that there is an authority within Nkwanta and the region.”
The Oti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) will host an emergency security meeting today, Wednesday, November 22, in response to the Nkwanta riots.
Regional Minister Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu, appearing on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Tuesday, November 21, verified the number of dead and described the pandemonium as “ethnic clashes.”
“Tomorrow we are going to have an emergency security meeting again, ” he further said.
He also disclosed that there had been conflicts in town two weeks earlier between members of two tribes, Adele and Akyode.
Following the conflicts, the Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, acted on the advice of the REGSEC and via Executive Instrument to impose a curfew on Nkwanta township.
The curfew will be in force from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 21.
On Tuesday, November 21, an attacker opened fire in the town’s central market area.
Several people have been murdered and others have been injured as a result of the incident.
The Oti Regional Security Council dispatched officers to the region to handle the situation.
“Government wishes to appeal to all to exercise restraint and to use the established mechanisms for the resolution of all their conflicts and disputes.
“Meanwhile, the Government will like to reiterate that, there is a ban on all persons in Nkwanta Township and its environs from carrying arms, ammunition or any offensive weapons and any persons found with any arms or ammunition will be arrested and prosecuted,” the Minister said.
Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has categorically rejected selling his official house to a private developer.
He then stated that his home was “almost sold” to a private developer.
The Speaker of Parliament recently revealed that his Accra home was sold to a private developer while he was still living there.
He said this only came to light when the developer went to the Lands Commission to register the land on Monday at the Speaker’s Breakfast Forum in Accra.
However, the Lands Commission claimed in a statement that “at no time did the Lands Commission sell the said property to a private developer.”
In a recent meeting with civil society organisations, the Speaker emphasised that his official house was on the verge of being turned over to a developer except for the intervention of the Lands Commission.
“I didn’t say my residence was sold. That was not what I said. This was just a comment in passing when I said it was almost sold but luckily, I was in possession. And I said it was when they went to Lands Commission that they realised from the search that it was the residence of the Speaker,” Alban Bagbin clarified.
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