Ghana to lift import duty and VAT on solar panels and batteries
The 2027 budget measure aims to cut the upfront cost of going solar for households, traders, farmers and small businesses.
Accra — Ghana will exempt solar panels and batteries from import duties and value added tax, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced in the 2027 budget on Thursday.
The measure, part of the government's 24-hour economy programme, is meant to lower the cost of installing solar systems and encourage households, businesses and institutions to switch to renewable power.
"To secure our energy future, Government will exempt solar panels and batteries from import duties and VAT, strengthening incentives for households and businesses to go solar and lowering the cost of adopting clean energy," he told Parliament.
Sunshine as a resource
Dr Forson said Ghana had sunshine all year round but had not made full use of it. "Ghana is blessed with abundant sunshine all year round, a natural resource that costs us nothing and never runs out," he said.
He linked reliable power to livelihoods. "Energy security is economic security. When a trader can keep her shop running, a farmer can power his irrigation, and a young entrepreneur can work through the night, our economy grows, and our people prosper."
The exemptions sit alongside other budget measures announced the same day, including plans to refine all small-scale gold locally by 2028 and to build a National AI Centre.
Source: MyJoyOnline, 12 November 2026.
