Prez Mahama signs five bills into law, overhauls security architecture and mining levy

President John Dramani Mahama has assented to five new bills at Jubilee House, enacting significant changes to Ghana’s security sector, education system, and mining taxation.

The signing ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, was attended by Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, and Attorney General Dominic Ayine, among other senior government officials.

A key piece of legislation, the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, abolishes the Office of the Minister of National Security. The new law grants the President the authority to assign oversight of the country’s security agencies to any minister of his choosing. It also formally restores the name of the National Intelligence Bureau to its former designation, the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI). President Mahama explained that the change aims to eliminate public confusion between the intelligence agency and the National Investment Bank.

In the education sector, the President signed the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishing a new public university with its main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region. The institution will also have additional campuses at Ohawu in the Oti Region and Acherensua in the Ahafo Region. Separately, the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Act, 2026, was passed to provide private tertiary institutions with greater operational flexibility, including the option to apply for a charter.

On the economic front, the Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Act, 2026, was enacted to reduce the levy on mining companies from three percent to one percent. This reduction follows the introduction of a sliding scale for mining royalties.

The Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Act, 2026, expands financial safeguards by extending deposit protection to mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, broadening coverage beyond traditional banks and financial institutions.

The new laws take immediate effect following the presidential assent.