President John Dramani Mahama has officially abolished the COVID Health Recovery Levy after signing the Repeal Act on December 10, 2025, fulfilling what he described as a key campaign pledge to ease the tax burden on citizens.
The levy, which added one percent to VAT, had remained in place years after the end of the pandemic. President Mahama said its removal represented a promise “made and delivered,” noting that many Ghanaians had long questioned the relevance of the charge.
The levy was introduced by the previous administration to help recoup costs from free water, electricity, food distribution and other emergency measures rolled out during the height of COVID-19. However, President Mahama said the tax took the public by surprise—especially after the pandemic had subsided and elections were over.
“For years, Ghana was one of the few countries still taxing its citizens for a pandemic that had long passed,” he stated, adding that opposition to the levy had been strong from the outset.
The president will forward the signed Repeal Act to the Clerk of Parliament in line with legislative procedures.
