Mahama signs five bills into law, seals move to restore NIB to BNI
President John Dramani Mahama has assented to five bills passed by Parliament, including three amendment bills, in a move aimed at reforming key sectors of governance, education, security, and finance.
The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, March 31, at the Presidency, with senior government officials in attendance.
The bills signed into law are the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; the Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and the Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, introduces structural changes, including the scrapping of the Office of the Minister for National Security and granting the President flexibility to assign any minister to oversee security agencies.
It also restores the name of the National Intelligence Bureau to its original designation, the Bureau of National Intelligence, a change the President said would help eliminate confusion with the National Investment Bank.
On education, the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes a new public university with its main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region.
The institution will also have additional campuses in Ohawu in the Oti Region and Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
In the area of taxation, the Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Act reduces the levy on mining companies from 3% to 1%, following the introduction of a sliding scale royalty system.
In a brief remarks, the President noted that “This act reduces the levy again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
The Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Act, 2026, also reforms Act 1023 to provide greater flexibility for private tertiary institutions, including the option to attain chartered status.
The Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Act also expands financial safeguards to include mobile money wallets and other digital financial platforms, extending protection beyond traditional bank deposits.
President Mahama explained that the amendment strengthens confidence in the financial system by widening the scope of protected assets.