Parliament Scraps COVID-19 Levy to Reduce Financial Burden on Ghanaians

Parliament has approved the complete abolition of the COVID-19 levy, a tax introduced under the Akufo-Addo administration to support pandemic-related spending. The repeal follows the Finance Minister’s announcement in the 2026 Budget.

Government says eliminating the levy is part of a broader strategy to ease the financial burden on households, support business growth and accelerate economic recovery.

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin welcomed the repeal but urged the government to take further action. He called for the removal of the One Ghana Cedi levy on petroleum products and for the reversal of the 18 percent electricity tariff increase, arguing that these additional steps would show a genuine commitment to scrapping what he described as nuisance taxes.

The removal of the COVID-19 levy is expected to bring some relief to consumers as government continues to review its tax policies.