Recent News Articles

Ghana’s Excise Duty Amendment Bill, 2022 a model for revenue, health and tax justice in Africa

Ghana’s Excise Duty Amendment Bill, 2022 a model for revenue, health and tax justice in Africa

When President Nana Akufo-Addo signed Ghana’s Excise Duty (Amendment Bill), 2022, the arduous petition by TJNA and civil society organizations had come to a rewarding end. Months of evidence-informed advocacy resulted in legislation that will significantly bolster the objectives of Ghana’s Public Health Act 2012 and its obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO […]

GRA forecasts GHS 455m tax revenue from SSBs, alcohol and tobacco in 2023

GRA forecasts GHS 455m tax revenue from SSBs, alcohol and tobacco in 2023

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has projected a total tax revenue of GHS 455 million to be mobilized in 2023 from Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs), alcohol, and tobacco. This estimate comes in the wake of the implementation of the Excise Duty Amendment Tax, which has seen a 20% increase in taxes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco […]

VALD Ghana, A4H call for benchmarking of taxes on SSBs and alcohol to inflation rate

VALD Ghana, A4H call for benchmarking of taxes on SSBs and alcohol to inflation rate

Labram Musah, the Executive Director of Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) Ghana, has issued a resounding call for the benchmarking of taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) and alcohol to the prevailing headline inflation rate in the country. This comes amidst heightened concerns over the negative health impacts of excessive consumption of these products. With Ghana’s […]

Stakeholders urged to contribute to full implementation of health policies

Stakeholders urged to contribute to full implementation of health policies

Mr Labram Musah, the Executive Director of Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) has called on stakeholders to contribute to the full implementation of the National NCD Policy and Strategy, Public Health Act (ACT 851), and others.  “Through this way, we will be able to uniquely overcome the challenges of diseases and help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals […]

AFRO Regional Retreat on Make Big Polluters Pay

AFRO Regional Retreat on Make Big Polluters Pay

The Executive Director, Programs of VALD Ghana joined Climate Justice Civil Society Actors led by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) at the AFRO Regional Retreat on Make Big Polluters Pay (MBPP) in Uganda: As part of the event dubbed “People’s Tribunal for Justice and Reconciliation” It seeks to get first-hand experience from the […]

Can the introduction of Sin Taxation in Ghana be seen as a Health Intervention?

Can the introduction of Sin Taxation in Ghana be seen as a Health Intervention?

The cost of health care is a topic for debate in most countries. It is because it places a significant burden on the government and the citizens of any country. In Africa, the costs are increasing further because of the impact chronic disease are having. Several reasons can be given for the increase in Africa’s […]

Expanding our work on tobacco tax advocacy in Africa

Expanding our work on tobacco tax advocacy in Africa

The Tobacco Tax Advocacy in Africa (TTAA) project, coordinated by Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), is set to expand its efforts to reduce tobacco consumption and generate revenue for African governments. To welcome the new partners, Corruption Watch from South Africa and Forum Civil and Centre de Recherche en Economie et Finance Appliquées (CRES) from […]

President of Ghana Assent to the 3 New Tax Bill

President of Ghana Assent to the 3 New Tax Bill

The three major tax laws targeted at bolstering the sustainable generation of domestic revenue for Ghana and recently passed by Parliament has been given presidential assent. The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah disclosed in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM that the President has signed them. The Information Minister indicated that after President Nana […]

Parliament Passes 3 New Revenue Bills

Parliament Passes 3 New Revenue Bills

Parliament has approved three major tax bills targeted at bolstering the sustainable generation of domestic revenue for the country. The bills are the Excise Duty and Excise Tax Stamp (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Income Tax (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2022, and the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022. The Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, which will […]

VALD-Ghana Urges Parliament of Ghana to pass Excise Duty Bill to regulate Alcohol Industry

VALD-Ghana Urges Parliament of Ghana to pass Excise Duty Bill to regulate Alcohol Industry

Vision for Alternative Development-Ghana (VALD- Ghana) is urging the Parliament of Ghana to urgently consider the passage of the Excise Duty Bill currently before the house to reduce the increased Non Communicable Diseases cases especially cancer. According to VALD-Ghana, excise tax on health harming products also increases the government revenue substantially and unlock fresh resources […]

CSOs ask Parliament to pass Excise Duty Amendment Bill to avert diseases and deaths

CSOs ask Parliament to pass Excise Duty Amendment Bill to avert diseases and deaths

A number of civil society organisations (CSOs) have called on Parliament to expedite action on the passage of the Excise Duty Amendment Bill to avert tobacco, alcohol and sugar related diseases and death. The organisations are the Vision for Alternative Development, Ghana NCD Alliance, Tax Advocacy Network for Health Promotion, Community Health Support Team, Jaishi […]

Expedite passage of Tobacco Excise Duty Amendment Bill to save lives, boost revenue – VALD-Ghana to Parliament

Expedite passage of Tobacco Excise Duty Amendment Bill to save lives, boost revenue – VALD-Ghana to Parliament

The Vision for Alternative Development, Ghana (VALD-Ghana), in conjunction with some civil society organizations, have petitioned Parliament to quickly pass the Tobacco Excise Duty Amendment Bill, 2023.The CSOs noted that the passage of the Excise Duty Amendment Bill will curb the excessive consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages, which causes diseases and death.The NCD […]

Environment: Big Polluters must Pay for Climate Crisis – VALD calls

Environment: Big Polluters must Pay for Climate Crisis – VALD calls

Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says it is time African governments hold big polluters liable for the environmental crisis on the continent. VALD said big polluting companies such as Shell and others should be made to atone for the harm and damage they have caused to the environment which has led to the […]

VALD Ghana campaigns for alcohol-free society

VALD Ghana campaigns for alcohol-free society

The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD Ghana) and other civil society actors in Ghana have called on global leaders and national decision-makers to adopt and enforce alcohol policy solutions to protect and promote human rights and development. They made the call as they joined communities around the world to commemorate the 2022 World Alcohol Free […]

Ghana: VALD warn against tobacco, alcohol consumption as it marks World Cancer Day

Ghana: VALD warn against tobacco, alcohol consumption as it marks World Cancer Day

On World Cancer Day, the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) is pleased to associate itself to the call by countries, the World Health Organization and civil societies who are joining forces to raise awareness of the global cancer burden and take further steps to better prevent and reduce cancer. The need to step up cancer […]