Parliament approves abolition of COVID-19 Levy
The move follows the Finance Minister’s announcement in the 2026 Budget, which described the repeal as part of a broader push to ease pressure on households
Ghana’s legislature has given the green light to abolish the COVID-19 levy, bringing an end to the tax introduced during the Akufo-Addo era to fund the country’s pandemic response.
The move follows the Finance Minister’s announcement in the 2026 Budget, which described the repeal as part of a broader push to ease pressure on households, stimulate business activity and speed up economic recovery.
During the debate in Parliament, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin welcomed the decision but argued that the government should not stop there.
He pressed for the removal of additional taxes, including:
The GH¢1 levy on petroleum products, and
The 18% charge on electricity tariffs.
Eliminating these, he said, would show a sincere effort by the government to phase out what the Minority has repeatedly branded as “nuisance taxes.”
Officials say the repeal of the COVID-19 levy is intended to put more disposable income in the hands of Ghanaians and contribute to economic transformation at a time when many businesses are still recovering from the shocks of the pandemic.
