President John Dramani Mahama has officially signed the COVID Health Recovery Levy Repeal Act, 2025, effectively abolishing the 1% levy imposed on goods and services during the post-pandemic period.
The signing took place on Tuesday, 10 December 2025. He said the repeal fulfils a key election promise made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He reiterated that the tax had long been unpopular among Ghanaians, who questioned its relevance after the pandemic had ended.
“This is the COVID Health Recovery Levy Repeal Act 2025, and it’s my honour and privilege to sign, to repeal the COVID levy. Promise made, promise delivered,” the President declared.
He noted that the levy introduced by the previous government was initially justified on the grounds to have provided “free electricity, free food, and a lot of things” during the pandemic period.
He added that many Ghanaians were shocked when, after the pandemic and the elections, the public was left with a 1% tax on nearly all taxable goods and services.
“Ghana continued to remain one of the only countries being taxed for a pandemic that had passed,” President Mahama said. “A lot of Ghanaians have disliked this tax, and today I’m pleased that on the 10th of December 2025, I have signed the repeal act to remove the 1% COVID levy.”
The President presented the signed document to the Clerk of Parliament to complete the legislative process.
The repeal marks one of the first major tax policy reversals under the Mahama administration and is expected to bring relief to individuals and businesses burdened for years by the levy.
