The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has resumed dividend payments to the government after a break of several years, presenting GH¢10 million to the Ministry of Finance.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who received the payment from the NLA Board, said the contribution marked the Authority’s return to a practice that had stopped after 2017.
He, however, said the amount was below what the state should be receiving from the lottery operator.
“The taxpayer deserves more than GH¢10 million from NLA, but this is a good step,” Ato Forson said.
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Finance, working with the NLA and the Attorney-General, was reviewing agreements that he said had limited the Authority’s financial returns to the state. The review is expected to be completed this month.
Some of the agreements, he said, had allocated an unreasonable share of NLA’s revenue to other entities, reducing the funds accruing to government.
Ato Forson also urged the NLA to remain focused on its statutory mandate and avoid activities outside its core responsibilities.
“Let this not be symbolic. Ghana deserves better,” he said, pledging to ensure that the state receives its due from the Authority.
NLA Board Chairman Frederick Amissah described the GH¢10 million payment as the beginning of reforms aimed at improving the Authority’s performance and returns to government.
“This is just the beginning of the reforms and improvements in NLA,” he said.
The NLA’s return to dividend payments adds to the government’s efforts to secure stronger financial returns from public enterprises and state investments. The 2025 State Ownership Report showed that only Ghana Reinsurance Company and Tema Development Company paid dividends among the SOEs covered, contributing GH¢13 million and GH¢3 million respectively.
Government has also received significant returns from its equity interests in joint ventures. In September, Perseus Mining Ghana paid GH¢391 million, representing the state’s 10 per cent interest in the company, up from US$5 million paid the previous year.
The NLA’s GH¢10 million payment therefore adds another source of non-tax revenue while the Finance Ministry pushes state-linked entities to generate stronger returns for the public purse.
