President John Mahama has assured Ghanaians that the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy will be reviewed in September, blaming current IMF programme constraints for the delay.
In his May 7 national address marking 120 days in office, Mahama acknowledged the public’s concern over the levy. He reminded citizens that he had promised to abolish four specific taxes within 90 days, three of which are already gone. “I pledged to scrap the E-levy, COVID levy, betting tax, and the Emissions Levy,” Mahama said. “So far, we’ve repealed three.”
The COVID levy remains due to its connection to Ghana’s ongoing IMF programme. Mahama explained that as a value-added tax, it falls under a broader VAT review scheduled for September. “We’ve agreed with our partners to handle this as part of a VAT rationalisation,” he said.
Despite this, the President highlighted progress on tax reforms. “We’ve gone beyond our 120-day targets,” he said, pointing to swift legislative action.
On April 2, 2025, Mahama signed several key bills. These included the repeal of the E-Levy, the Emissions Levy, and the Betting Tax. His government also passed new laws to overhaul public finance and promote fairer taxation.
These reforms include amendments to the VAT and Income Tax Acts, removal of VAT on vehicles, the Public Financial Management Bill, and the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act.
“Change isn’t just about promises, it’s about results,” Mahama declared. He reaffirmed his commitment to tax fairness and rebuilding public trust in government.
