President Mahama assents to 5 new Bills
President John Dramani Mahama has signed into law five bills passed by Parliament, including three amendment bills.
The new laws are the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In his brief remarks after assenting to the bills in a ceremony at the Jubilee House yesterday, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, abolished the Office of the Minister of National Security and granted the President the discretion to appoint any minister to supervise the security agencies.
New legislation
He said the legislation also reverted the name of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to its original designation, the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI).
This change, the President said, would resolve the confusion between the security agency and the National Investment Bank (NIB), a well-known Ghanaian financial institution.
On education, President Mahama indicated that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, established a new university in the Eastern Region with three campuses.
The main campus will be situated at Bonso in the Eastern Region, a second campus at Ohawu in the Oti Region, and the third at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Regarding the Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Act, the President explained that the amendment reduced the levy on mining companies from three per cent back to one per cent.
"As you are aware, the act was amended to increase it from one per cent to three per cent, and so this act reduces it again.
That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to one per cent, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties," he said.
President Mahama further stated that the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Act amended Act 1023 to provide greater flexibility for private tertiary institutions and introduce the option to charter.
On the Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President explained that it expanded protection beyond deposits held in commercial banks and financial institutions to now include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, thereby securing a wider scope of digital financial assets.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror; Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama; Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine; Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah; Senior Presidential Advisor, Joyce Bawa Mogtari; Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson; and the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
