Mahama signs Tribunal Bill and nine others into law

President John Dramani Mahama has signed 10 Bills into law, completing the legislative process for a package of reforms covering taxation, justice, national defence, customs, energy and the cocoa sector.

The laws were passed by Parliament during the Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament, which ended on July 31, 2026. The President’s assent now gives the legislation legal force and allows the relevant institutions to begin implementing the new provisions.

Among the new laws are the Customs Act, Community Service Act, Tribunals Act and Maritime and Related Offences Act.

The package also includes the National Defence University, Ghana Act, Ghana Cocoa Board Act and amendments to the Income Tax, Value Added Tax and Energy Sector Levies laws, as well as the Excise Act.

The tax-related legislation is expected to shape revenue mobilisation and the administration of Ghana’s tax system, while the Customs Act provides an updated legal framework for customs administration and enforcement.

The reforms also introduce new legislative frameworks for community service and tribunals, regulate offences within Ghana’s maritime space and establish the legal basis for the National Defence University.

The Ghana Cocoa Board Act, meanwhile, provides the statutory framework governing the operations of the country’s cocoa regulator.