NorvanReports to Host Budget 2026 Town Hall: Can Ghana’s VAT Reforms Deliver Both Relief and Revenue?
NorvanReports will today, Sunday, 16th November 2025, host a national policy dialogue on the 2026 Budget, with a special focus on one of the most consequential issues in this year’s fiscal plan: the restructuring of Ghana’s Value Added Tax (VAT) regime.
The Xspace Town Hall, themed “Budget 2026 Town Hall: Ghana’s Tax Paradox — Can the VAT Reforms Deliver Relief While Expanding Revenue?”, will bring together some of the country’s leading economists, governance experts, and civil society voices to interrogate the credibility, impact, and wider implications of the reforms.
The conversation comes at a critical moment. Budget 2026 signals government’s attempt to shift from pure austerity to targeted tax relief, scrapping the COVID-19 levy, reducing the effective VAT rate from 21.9% to 20%, and raising the VAT registration threshold from GH¢200,000 to GH¢750,000. Supporters say the move will ease the burden on households and SMEs. Critics argue that Ghana’s fragile fiscal position, unresolved SOE arrears, and exposure to global commodity shocks create risks that cannot be ignored.
This Town Hall aims to unpack the paradox at the centre of the reforms: Can Ghana lower VAT and still protect revenue in a period of tight fiscal space?
The event will feature a distinguished panel of economic thinkers and sectoral leaders:
- Prof. Patrick Asuming – Economist, University of Ghana Business School
- Mr. Joe Jackson – Chief Executive Officer, Dalex Finance Ghana
- Mr. Bismark Owusu Nortey – Executive Director, Peasant Farmers Association
- Mr. Abdul Karim Mohammed – Executive Director, Economic Governance Platform (EGP)
- Miss Jennifer Moffat – Country Director, BudgiT Ghana
- Dr. Bernard Tetteh-Dumenya – Economist, InvestBankerPreneur
The session will be moderated by NorvanReports, known for delivering high-level analysis, data-driven policy conversations, and balanced public interest journalism.
Ghana enters 2026 with improved fiscal metrics, meaningful disinflation, and an IMF programme that ends in May 2026. Yet key vulnerabilities remain:
- Structural weaknesses in SOEs, especially in the energy sector
- Large legacy arrears and tariff under-recoveries
- A tight CAPEX envelope requiring strict discipline
- Exposure to volatile commodity markets (gold, cocoa, oil)
- A fragile business environment struggling with weak demand pressures
VAT reforms are therefore not a standalone policy—they represent a gamble on compliance, efficiency, and the power of simplification.
This Town Hall will explore whether the reforms:
- Provide genuine relief to SMEs, households, traders, and farmers
- Enhance Ghana’s long-term revenue mobilisation prospects
- Strengthen or weaken fiscal sustainability
- Improve transparency and accountability in tax administration
- Boost business confidence and private investment
The NorvanReports Xspace format allows for a robust, multidimensional national conversation. Listeners will have the opportunity to ask questions during the audience Q&A session, share real-life experiences of the tax burden, and challenge assumptions behind the reforms.
Data, charts, and evidence from recent studies, including the IMF’s VAT efficiency benchmarks and BudgiT’s fiscal credibility assessments, will be incorporated into the analysis.
- Theme: Budget 2026 Town Hall
Sub-Theme: Ghana’s Tax Paradox: Can the VAT Reforms Deliver Relief While Expanding Revenue?
Date: Sunday, 16th November 2025
Time: 7:00 PM GMT
Host: NorvanReports (@NorvanReports)
Platform: X (Twitter) – Live Xspace
As Ghana enters a pivotal phase of post-IMF fiscal management, the question of what kind of tax system the country needs for inclusive growth has never been more urgent.
NorvanReports invites citizens, policymakers, businesses, academics, and development practitioners to join the conversation and contribute to shaping the national tax debate.
Follow @NorvanReports on X for the link and live updates.
