President Mahama sssents to five major bills to reshape security, education, mining and financial sectors

President John Dramani Mahama has assented to five major bills, introducing sweeping reforms across Ghana’s security architecture, tertiary education system, mining fiscal framework, and financial sector protections.

Addressing the development, President Mahama said the newly passed Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, marks a significant restructuring of the country’s intelligence governance system.

“This Act removes the office of the Minister for National Security and, in doing so, frees the President’s hand to appoint any suitable minister to supervise the security agencies,” he stated.

He further explained that the legislation restores the original identity of the national intelligence service. “It reverts the name of the NIB, the National Intelligence Bureau, to the Bureau of National Intelligence—BNI—so that we eliminate the confusion that existed with a similarly named commercial bank,” the President added.

On higher education reform, President Mahama announced the passage of the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, which establishes a new multi-campus university in the Eastern Region.

“We are setting up a new university at Bonsu as the main campus, with additional campuses at Ohawu and Achirensua in the Ahafo Region,” he said.

Turning to the mining sector, the President outlined changes under the Growth and Sustainability Levy Amendment Act, which adjusts the fiscal regime for mining companies.

“We have reduced the levy on mining companies from 3 percent back to 1 percent, in view of the introduction of a sliding scale royalty system,” he noted.

He explained that the adjustment is designed to improve balance and predictability within the sector. “The objective is to align our fiscal tools in a way that supports sustainability while maintaining competitiveness,” he added.

In the education regulatory space, the President also signed the Ghana Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Act, which removes the requirement for universities to obtain a charter before commencing operations.

“We are streamlining the process to make it easier for legitimate institutions to be established and regulated effectively,” he explained.

Finally, President Mahama assented to the Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Act, aimed at strengthening safeguards for depositors and enhancing confidence in the financial system.

“This amendment reinforces the protection of public deposits held in commercial banks and financial institutions, ensuring greater confidence in our financial system,” he stated.

He said the collective reforms reflect government’s broader commitment to institutional strengthening and economic stability.

“These Acts form part of our broader agenda to modernise governance, improve efficiency, and build resilient public institutions,” President Mahama concluded.