On a recent radio tour, the leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr. Kofi Akpaloo, shared his plans for improving the Ghanaian economy ahead of the 2024 elections. One of the main issues he discussed was the high unemployment rate in the country. Mr. Akpaloo expressed his concern that previous governments have not done enough to address the problem, leaving many young people without jobs.
During the interview, Mr. Akpaloo talked about his plans to help the youth by focusing on job creation. He believes that the lack of job opportunities is driving many young people to engage in betting activities. According to him, the youth are not betting because they want to, but because they feel they have no other options due to the tough economic conditions.
To address this, Mr. Akpaloo announced that if he is elected, he will increase the betting tax in Ghana to 60%. He believes that this higher tax rate will discourage young people from participating in betting. However, he doesn’t just want to stop there. Mr. Akpaloo’s goal is to create more job opportunities for the youth so they won’t feel the need to rely on betting as a way to make money.
“I will increase the betting tax to about 60% so as to discourage the youth from participating. And I will get them jobs to do in Ghana. All that they do is because they do not have jobs and ideals. The little they get, they put into this bet thing and gets nothing out of it. But when you give them meaningful jobs to do, they can make a good life out of those jobs.” Mr. Akpaloo said.
This plan to raise the betting tax may come as a surprise to many people in Ghana. Since its introduction in 2019 by the current government, the betting tax has been controversial, with many calling for its removal. The tax was originally introduced to help generate revenue for the struggling economy.
Mr. Akpaloo’s approach to the betting tax and job creation is a significant part of his strategy to improve the lives of young people in Ghana. As the 2024 elections approach, it remains to be seen how voters will respond to his bold proposals.
