Parliament has on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, passed the Excise Bill, 2026, abolishing excise taxes on locally manufactured fruit juices.
The move is aimed at lowering prices, promoting healthier consumption and supporting local agro-processing industries.
The Bill, however, contains a provision that gives a framework for the imposition and collection of excise duty on selected imported and locally manufactured excisable goods. It also provides for the use of Excise Tax Stamps, which must be affixed to excisable products.
Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, presenting the Bill on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, indicated that the legislation also introduces a sliding scale for excise duty on beer and other beverages to encourage manufacturers to source more raw materials locally.
“The other thing we are seeking to do is to introduce a sliding scale for use of raw materials so that we can encourage the use of local raw materials in the manufacture of beer and other drinks so that the more raw materials you source locally to produce, the rate of excise duty goes down,” he said.
While supporting local fruit processors, the Minister noted that the removal of the excise taxes would make the products more affordable as well.
“We are removing taxes on juices, local juices that are produced here, and so our Blue Skies, our Akumfi juice factory, will all be zero-rated, and that will bring the prices low, and it will encourage us to shift from the consumption of alcohol to fruit juices because we want to promote good health,” he said.
Government expects that the tax exemptions improve the competitiveness of locally manufactured fruit juices, stimulate demand for products made from locally grown fruits and create stronger linkages between the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
It is also anticipated that the new excise regime incentivise manufacturers to increase the use of locally sourced raw materials by reducing the tax burden on producers that rely more heavily on domestic inputs.
The approved Excise Bill, 2026, when assented to become law, will form part of the government’s broader tax reform agenda aimed at supporting local industry, promoting value addition and encouraging healthier consumer choices.
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