By Nadia Ntiamoah
President John Dramani Mahama has taken a decisive step to reset key sectors of Ghana’s governance architecture after assenting to five major bills, marking one of the most significant legislative interventions early in his administration.
The newly signed laws—passed by Parliament as part of broader governance and economic reforms—touch on national security, mining taxation, higher education expansion, and financial sector protection.
Central to the reforms is the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2025, which introduces sweeping changes to Ghana’s security framework. The law abolishes the position of Minister for National Security, a role that has historically been central to coordinating intelligence operations.
In its place, the President is now empowered to designate a minister to supervise the National Security Coordinator.
Additionally, the legislation renames the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) as the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), a move seen as part of efforts to reposition the agency within a modern intelligence structure.
The security reform comes against a backdrop of longstanding debates over accountability, coordination, and political control within the intelligence system.
Over the years, concerns have been raised about the concentration of power and the need for clearer oversight mechanisms—issues the new law seeks to address.
In the economic sector, the Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Act, 2026 reduces the levy on gold mining companies from 3 percent to 1 percent. The adjustment is expected to provide relief to mining firms while encouraging investment in the extractive sector, which remains a major contributor to the revenue.
However, it also reopens discussions about balancing investor incentives with the country’s need to maximise returns from its natural resources.
On the education front, the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2025, spearheaded by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, sets the stage for the establishment of a new public university at Bunso in the Eastern Region.
The initiative aligns with government’s broader agenda to expand access to specialised tertiary education, particularly in science, engineering and agriculture—fields considered critical for national development.
Complementing this is the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Act, 2026, which tightens oversight within the tertiary education space.
The law mandates that all existing tertiary institutions affiliated with mentoring universities must obtain their own charter within six years. The policy is aimed at improving quality assurance, institutional independence, and academic standards across the sector.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Act, 2025 strengthens the country’s financial safety net by enhancing the capacity of the Ghana Deposit Protection Corporation. The amendment is rooted in lessons from the recent banking sector clean-up, which exposed vulnerabilities within financial institutions and underscored the need to better protect depositors in the event of bank failures.
Taken together, the five laws signal a coordinated attempt by the Mahama administration to address systemic gaps in governance, education, and the economy. While government officials describe the reforms as necessary for modernisation and stability, analysts say their long-term impact will depend on effective implementation and oversight.
The passage and assent of these bills also reinforce Parliament’s role in shaping policy direction, as Ghana navigates a complex landscape of economic recovery, institutional reform, and public sector restructuring.
