Tamale, August 26, 2026 — President John Dramani Mahama has assented to ten Bills passed by Parliament, formally giving them legal effect as part of his administration’s broader efforts to strengthen governance, public administration, national security and economic management.
The newly enacted legislation covers a wide range of sectors, including customs administration, community justice, national defence, taxation, energy, maritime security and the cocoa industry.
The ten Bills assented to by the President are the Customs Bill, 2026; Community Service Bill, 2026; Tribunal Bills, 2026; Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026; National Defence University Bill, 2026; Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026; Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Bill, 2026; Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026; Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Excise Bill, 2026.
The enactment of the Customs Bill, 2026 is expected to provide an updated legislative framework for customs administration, while the Community Service Bill, 2026 introduces a legislative basis for community-based sentencing and related measures within the justice system.
Similarly, the Tribunal Bills, 2026 and the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026 are intended to strengthen the legal and institutional mechanisms for addressing specialised disputes and offences, including those relating to Ghana’s maritime domain.
In the area of national security and defence, the National Defence University Bill, 2026 provides the legislative foundation for the establishment and operation of a National Defence University, with the broader objective of enhancing professional education, research and strategic capacity within the country’s defence and security architecture.
On the economic front, the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Energy Sector Levies (Amendment) Bill, 2026, Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and Excise Bill, 2026 introduce legislative changes to aspects of Ghana’s taxation and revenue framework.
The Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, meanwhile, provides a new legislative framework for the regulation and administration of the country’s cocoa sector, one of Ghana’s major agricultural and export industries.
Taken together, the ten enactments represent a significant component of the government’s legislative programme, with the measures aimed at modernising key sectors, improving institutional effectiveness and strengthening the legal foundations for public administration and economic governance.
The President’s assent brings the Bills into force as laws, subject to the specific commencement provisions contained in the respective enactments.
The development is expected to pave the way for the relevant ministries, departments and state institutions to begin implementing the provisions of the new laws as the Mahama administration continues its legislative and institutional reform agenda.
