The Ghanaian Minister of Finance Cassiel Ato Forson announced on Tuesday, March 11, that the State of Ghana is abolishing several taxes introduced in recent years in order to benefit from IMF support.

The government plans to “reduce the pressure on households” and “increase their disposable incomes.” Indeed, the Minister of Finance Cassiel Ato Forson indicated that the Ghanaian State has put an end to five taxes considered as “harmful levies”. These are taxes of 10% on lottery winnings, 1% on mobile transfers, taxes on emissions from industries and vehicles, VAT on vehicle insurance, and the 1.5% tax on unprocessed gold from small-scale miners. According to the minister, the abolition of these taxes will reduce the pressure on households and increase their disposable income. In addition, it will promote business growth and strengthen tax compliance. It should be remembered that these taxes were introduced in 2022—23, at the insistence of the IMF, which made them a condition for granting the country, which was then experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades, a financial rescue plan