A governance think-tank, the Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has taken a swipe at President John Dramani Mahama for failing to honour a major campaign promise to abolish the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy, describing the move as a “betrayal of public trust” and “an act of moral inconsistency.”
“During the 2024 election campaign, then-candidate John Dramani Mahama made no uncertain terms about the fate of the COVID-19 levy. Now in office, the President and his economic managers have reversed course, citing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as justification for the levy’s continued imposition. This is not only unacceptable; it is unconscionable,” the group stated.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, May 11, 2025, the civil society group expressed disappointment in what it termed the government’s “unconscionable reversal,” accusing it of disregarding the economic hardship of ordinary Ghanaians.
The group recalled how then candidate Mahama in the lead up to the 2024 general election, stressed that the COVID-19 levy, introduced during the pandemic, had outlived its purpose, yet remained in force, burdening citizens amid ongoing economic challenges.
The CDM insisted that President Mahama’s prior condemnation of the tax made its retention especially egregious.
“The abandonment of this campaign promise is not simply a matter of policy adjustment; it is a betrayal of trust. A president who reneges on solemn pledges risks becoming a symbol of expediency, not principle,” CDM declared.
Citing Article 36(1) of Ghana’s Constitution and international obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), CDM argued that maintaining such a regressive tax undermines both domestic and global commitments to economic fairness and human rights.
The group called on President Mahama to present to Parliament, a roadmap for the full abolition of the levy; apologize publicly for breaking the campaign promise; and reaffirm its commitment to ethical and accountable governance.
The CDM reminded the government of the enduring power of political memory stating, “As the African proverb says, ‘The axe forgets; the tree remembers.”
