BY VALENTIA TETTEH
Parliament has concluded the Second Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament with the passage of 11 significant Bills aimed at reforming key sectors of Ghana’s economy, governance, taxation, justice, national security and social development.
The legislative agenda, spanning May 21 to July 31, 2026, saw Members of Parliament debate and approve a number of landmark Bills expected to reshape public administration, strengthen state institutions, improve revenue mobilisation and modernise critical sectors of the economy.
Among the most notable pieces of legislation passed was the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, which was approved on May 29 after extensive parliamentary debate. The Bill seeks to reinforce Ghana’s traditional family values and regulate matters relating to same-sex relationships and LGBTQ+ activities.
Parliament also passed the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority Bill, 2025, on June 25 to establish a modern legal framework for promoting and regulating investments while improving Ghana’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
In the area of criminal justice reform, lawmakers approved the Community Service Bill, 2026 on July 8. The legislation introduces community service as an alternative sentencing option for certain categories of offenders, with the objective of reducing prison congestion while promoting rehabilitation and restorative justice.
To strengthen maritime security, Parliament passed the Maritime and Related Offences Bill, 2026 on June 30. The legislation criminalises a range of maritime offences and aligns Ghana’s legal framework with international conventions on maritime safety and security.
The House also approved the National Defence University, Ghana Bill, 2026 on July 17, paving the way for the establishment of a specialised defence university to enhance military education, research and strategic leadership development.
During the final week of the meeting, Parliament passed several major economic and governance Bills.
These included the Tribunals Bill, 2026, which re-establishes Regional and District Tribunals to help reduce the backlog of cases within the judicial system.
Lawmakers also approved the Customs Bill, 2026 and the Excise Bill, 2026, both of which seek to modernise Ghana’s customs administration and excise tax regime while improving trade facilitation and domestic revenue mobilisation.
On July 29, Parliament passed the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introducing tax reforms intended to enhance revenue collection, improve compliance and support the government’s fiscal consolidation programme.
The House concluded its legislative work with the passage of the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026 on July 30. The Bill introduces a new financing model for COCOBOD, guarantees farmers receive a minimum of 70 per cent of the Free-on-Board (FOB) price of cocoa, promotes local cocoa processing, protects cocoa farms from illegal mining and consolidates laws governing the cocoa sector into a single legal framework.
Despite these legislative milestones, Parliament is yet to conclude consideration of two important Bills before the House. They are the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to amend provisions relating to dual citizenship, and the Public Procurement Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The passage of the 11 Bills marks one of the busiest legislative periods of the Ninth Parliament, with lawmakers approving reforms spanning justice, taxation, agriculture, investment, maritime security, defence, customs administration and social policy.
