Accra, March 24, – The Ghana 2025 Tobacco Industry Interference Index has highlighted that the 2016 Tobacco Control Regulations (L.I. 2247), which empower the Minister of Health to issue a Code of Conduct for public officials, have yet to be operationalised.
The report recommends that the Ministry urgently implement Section 18 of L.I. 2247 to comply with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Current guidance under Section 17, it says, lacks enforceability and comprehensiveness.
The index, launched this March by Vision for Accelerated Sustainable Development, Ghana (VAST-Ghana), calls for clear, enforceable guidelines obliging public officers, contractors, and consultants to report and publicly disclose interactions with the tobacco industry. It also urges the tobacco sector to disclose detailed operational and fiscal data, including market shares, revenues, profits, and any government incentives.
VAST-Ghana recommends regional discussions to review fiscal measures indirectly favouring tobacco, such as duty-free allowances and FOB discounts.
In global rankings, Ghana placed 38th out of 100 countries and 11th out of 20 African nations in implementing laws addressing tobacco industry interference, according to the Global Tobacco Index.
GHBUSS
March 24, 2026
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