Covid-19 levy cancelled - Oda highlights from Ghana 2026 budget
Wia dis foto come from, PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson confam say govment cancel di covid 19 levy from di kontri tax bracket.
Bifor now, di kontri dey charge 1% levy on top all goods and services and on top di value of imports.
Ghana introduce di Covid-19 health recovery levy for 2021 to raise money to build health projects, recruit health pipo and do vaccination programmes for di kontri.
Four years afta dem collect di covid-19 levy, govment now cancel am as part of dia campaign promise.
Dis be one of di tins di finance minister announce inside di 2026 budget for parliament.
Di govment also announce reforms for di Value Added Tax (VAT) system.
For di new VAT system - dem reduce di VAT rate from 21.9% to 20% wey dem raise di threshold from Ghc 200k ($19k) to Ghc750k ($69k), wey go reduce di pressure on small and medium businesses.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson tok say govment dey plan to spend Ghc 357bn ($34bn) for di 2026 fiscal year.
Wey dem also dey target revenue of Ghc 268bn ($25bn); an 18.3% increase from di 2025 target.
Di minister also announce say di kontris public debt fall from Ghc726bn ($67bn) to Ghc 630bn ($58bn)
Wia dis foto come from, PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
Some highlights from di budget for various sectors
- Govment go begin procurement of four modern helicopters and two aircrafts wey dem go deliver in four years
- Govment go buy 100 fire tenders and oda equipment for di National fire service
- Di national anti-illegal mining taskforce (Naimos) go get Ghc 150m ($14m) to fight galamsey
- Govment allocate Ghc150m ($14m) to di blackstars for dia 2026 World Cup participation
- Govment allocate Ghc 110m ($10m) for di 24-hour economy project wey suppose create jobs for di youth
- Govment say dem go rehabilitate di national theatre for Accra wey dem go begin process to build anoda theatre for di Ashanti region
- Govment allocate Ghc 4.2bn ($384m) for di free senior high school programme
- Govment allocate Ghc2bn to build 200 new junior high schools, 200 primary schools, 200 kindergarten schools, 400 teacher bungalows for schools wey dey rural areas
- Govment allocate Ghc200m ($19m) for food and order make di buffer stock company buy rice, chicken, maize and oda foodstuff from Ghana
- Govment allocate Ghc 292m ($27m) for free sanitary pads for girls
Reaction afta di budget presentation
Wia dis foto come from, PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
Di govment say dis and oda tins dem plan for di economy for roads and oda infrastructure go create jobs for young pipo.
Afta di finance minister present di budget, di opposition party describe am as empty.
Dem say di budget no dey "inspire confidence and hope, wey e no dey provide anytin wey go make di kontri beta."
"Di minister no tok anytin about dia 24-hour economy wey dem campaign about bifor di 2024 elections, di youth for chorkor, Jamestown and oda parts of di kontri dey ask wia di jobs dey," opposition leader for parliament Alexander Afenyo Markin tok for di chamber after di minister deliver di budget.
E add say "di finance minister still dey lament and complain about di previous govment instead say e go focus on ruling and creating jobs."
Meanwhile, some experts say dem wan see di positive tins wey di finance minister present for di budget translate into jobs and beta economic conditions for businesses for di kontri.
