Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development (VAST) Ghana has welcomed the excise tax reforms announced in the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, describing them as significant steps toward strengthening public health and improving tax administration.

In a response issued after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the Mid-Year Budget in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, the public health advocacy organisation highlighted three key reforms it said aligned with its longstanding advocacy.

VAST Ghana praised the introduction of a hybrid excise tax system for alcoholic beverages, replacing the previous ad valorem tax structure with a combination of ad valorem and specific excise taxes for products including beer, wine and spirits.

The organisation also welcomed government’s decision to retain the excise tax rates introduced in 2023 on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), with the exception of fruit juices. It said the exemption should encourage manufacturers to produce healthier beverages without added sugar and other harmful additives.

VAST Ghana further commended the planned introduction of a digital tax stamp to improve the tracking and tracing of excisable products, describing the measure as important for enhancing compliance and tax administration.

While welcoming the reforms, the organisation said additional measures should be considered in future policy reviews. These include introducing a hybrid excise tax regime for sugar-sweetened beverages, extending excise taxes to ultra-processed foods, indexing excise tax rates to inflation and income growth, and removing excise taxes on electronic cigarettes.

VAST Ghana said it expects the proposed legislation accompanying the budget measures to provide further details on the implementation of the reforms.