A project to strengthen the capacity of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) officials on the implementation and enforcement of the Excise Duty Amendment Act 1108 2023 has been launched.
The project is dubbed: “Strengthening Capacity on the Implementation and Enforcement of the Excise Duty Amendment Act 1108 of 2023/SSB Tax in Ghana.”
The project spans April 2025 to March 2026,
It has been divided into three zones in the country for GRA officials – Southern, Middle, and Northern belts and the Southern officers (Unit) took their turn in the capacity building after the launch on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
The project, which is being undertaken by the Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA) in collaboration with the GRA and other partners would focus specifically on the 20 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).
The amended Act was passed by Parliament on March 31, 2023, and assented to by the President three days later.
Mr Benjamin Anabila, the Director of INSLA giving an overview said the law imposed a 20 per cent tax on SSBs, including flavoured juice drinks, sweetened tea, soda, and energy drinks.
“Actioned by the Government of Ghana as part of measures to reduce impact of such beverages on public health, the tax law makes Ghana one of hundreds that have implemented the WHO-recommended intervention to help prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs),” he stated.
Mr Anabila said the sustainable development goal (SDG Target 3.4) called for the reduction by one third premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment by 2030.
He said according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs were estimated to account for 42 per cent of total death and 31 per cent of disease burden in Ghana.
“NCDs are projected to increase due to urbanisation, unhealthy eating and living styles. Analysis of institutional data in Ghana suggests that several NCDs have been increasing and cardiovascular diseases accounted for 8.9 per cent of institutional deaths,” he stated.
He said the consumption of SSBs were major risk factors in causing obesity, adding; “The average healthcare cost per healthy-weight adult was USD35 (CAD47) per admission, compared with USD78 (CAD105) for overweight adults and USD132 (CAD177) for obese adults.”
“The Government of Ghana was therefore spending a staggering fee for highly expensive yet preventable health conditions,” Mr Anabila pointed out.
He said though the GRA have started the implementation of the SSB tax, some major challenges affecting the smooth implementation has been identified.
He mentioned inadequate capacity of customs officials, inadequate information amongst companies producing and importing SSBs, limited public and media awareness on the health benefits of the tax.
He said the project would create the necessary environment and support system to strengthen the capacity on the implementation and enforcement of the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act 2023/SSB Tax in Ghana.
Ms Mary Yayra Kpogo, Director of Programme of INSLA encouraged Ghanaians to make positive impact by educating each other to void the consumption of SSBs to live healthy for prosperous future.
The INSLA, is a non-profit civil society organisation established in December 2009 and has since been in operation. It has been the host of the Ghana Health Diet Alliance, and Ghana Physical Activity.
It is a member of the Ghana NCD Alliance, African Tobacco Control Alliance and the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control.
Source: GNA
Source: ghanabusinessnews.com
