In July, the Ghana's government released the 2026 mid-year budget review. In the review, the government provided an overview of the country's fiscal results, as well as an update on tax incentives introduced in the 2026 Budget Statement. Additionally, the mid-year budget review includes several measures aimed at increasing tax revenue, tightening customs controls, and reducing abuse of duty and tax exemptions.

Proposed Measures Under 2026 Mid-year Budget

The proposed measures focus on customs warehousing, import procedures, excise duty reforms, and stronger VAT compliance. Regarding customs reform, the government proposed stricter limits on how long goods can remain in bonded warehouses. In addition, importers would need a Tax Identification Number (TIN) when submitting import declarations, while Customs would operate under statutory processing deadlines.

The proposed excise duty reforms would remove the existing 20% excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices, potentially reducing the tax burden on domestic producers. Simultaneously, the government plans to introduce a hybrid excise system for wines and spirits that combines value-based and quantity-based taxation. Excise duties on beer and stout would also be adjusted through revised sliding-scale rates.

Regarding VAT administration and digital compliance, the government wants to develop detailed VAT regulations in 2027 to support implementation of the 2026 VAT Law. This includes a full implementation of VAT rules for non-resident digital platforms. This would strengthen VAT collection from foreign digital service providers operating in the Ghanaian market. The government also plans to introduce fiscal electronic devices (FEDs), supported by a VAT reward scheme, once the relevant pilot programs are completed.

Conclusion

The 2026 mid-year budget review on tax revenue measures signals that Ghana is progressing in implementing its 2026 tax agenda, particularly through VAT reform, digital tax collection, electronic compliance tools, and AI-supported customs enforcement. One of the main matters that foreign businesses should closely monitor is the further development of the digital VAT collection framework for non-resident digital platforms.