Angel FM sports reporter, Listowel Mensah has slammed the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu over the latter's comment that the youth of the country have been rendered lazy by the advent of sports betting.
Listowel Mensah holds a contrary view to that of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, stating that the seeming obsession of Ghanaians with sports betting
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Listowel Mensah rubbished Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s claim that the Ghanaian youth have a negative approach towards ‘hard work’ and are always on the lookout for the easiest way of making money.
He also questioned how many jobs the long-serving parliamentarian has created since he assumed office.
"There's no youth that is lazy. Ghanaians in particular are not lazy people but it's because of leaders like Osei-Kyei-Mensah. He doesn't know the hardship in the country, if he knew he wouldn't have said what he said in the name of encouraging hard work. Since he became an MP, how many jobs has he created that the youth rejected? You have been hoarding money in your rooms so you feel blessed and that makes you hard workers? No," he said on Angel FM's sports show on Thursday, August 10, 2023.
He continued: "You are not hard workers. It's not everybody's wish to engage in betting...some youth are on a job hunt but can't find one so instead of becoming an armed robber, they will then engage in betting instead. You are already taxing (their earnings) we are not even done talking about it. And there you are insulting the youth. Now it seems they insult the youth with the slightest opportunity."
The Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency in an interview with Angel FM in Kumasi said betting does not encourage hard work.
While justifying the Ghana Revenue Authority’s 10% withholding tax on all gaming earnings, he said that he believes in hard work and earning what is due an individual through their sweat.
“I don’t believe in betting. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in hard work and sweat to get money. Let’s be serious. As for me, I’m against betting coming into the country. I don’t support it because it doesn’t encourage hard work.”
“As an individual, I don’t engage in the lottery because I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe in luck. Work hard so God will bless it.”
The GRA announced that it has imposed a 10% withholding tax on gross gaming winnings starting from August 15, 2023.
The withholding tax means the 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) rate on each stake has been scrapped.
