President Mahama Repeals 1% Covid Health Recovery Levy: “Ghanaians Should Not Be Taxed for a Pandemic That Has Passed”
President John Dramani Mahama has formally signed the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy Repeal Act, fulfilling a major campaign promise to abolish the 1% levy introduced in 2021.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the Jubilee House, President Mahama described the moment as “an honor and a privilege”, emphasising that the tax had long burdened citizens after the pandemic had ended.
“This is the COVID Health Recovery Levy Repeal Act 2025, and it is my honor and privilege to sign to repeal the COVID levy,” he said. “Promise made, promise delivered.”
He criticized the origins of the levy, which was initially introduced to help the state recover expenditures made during the pandemic, including free water, electricity and food support. Mahama noted that the continuation of the tax beyond the crisis shocked many Ghanaians.
“To the shock of most Ghanaians, after the pandemic was over and after the elections were over, government slapped Ghanaians with a 1% value-added tax, ostensibly to recover what it was supposed to have spent on the COVID pandemic,” he stated. “Ghana continued to be one of the only countries where citizens were being taxed for a pandemic that had passed.”
Mahama reiterated that the National Democratic Congress had campaigned on a pledge to repeal the levy, which he said had been deeply unpopular among citizens.
“During the election, we promised that when the NDC comes to power, the COVID levy is one of those we would repeal. A lot of Ghanaians have disliked this tax,” he said. “And today, I’m pleased that on the 10th of December 2025, I’ve signed the Repeal Act to remove the 1% COVID levy.”
The president confirmed that the signed act would be forwarded to the Clerk of Parliament for the next procedural steps.
The repeal is expected to be widely welcomed by consumers and businesses who have long advocated for the removal of the levy, describing it as an unnecessary burden in the post-pandemic period.
