ECOWAS member states, including Ghana, have begun reviewing the bloc’s Community Levy, a 0.5% tax on imports from non-ECOWAS countries, to address declining revenues and strengthen financing for regional programmes. The levy, which provides up to 80% of ECOWAS’s budget, has been in place for over 18 years but now faces challenges related to compliance, efficiency, and revenue mobilization.
Speaking at a technical meeting in Accra, ECOWAS Director of Budget and Treasury Molokwu Azikiwe said the review aims to update the protocol to reflect current trade and fiscal realities. He noted that while sanctions exist for non-compliance, enforcement decisions lie with the Council of Ministers and Heads of State.
The ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, Prof. Nazil Abdullahi Darma, stressed the need for an updated operations manual to improve transparency and restore confidence in the levy system. The reform is expected to modernize regional financing, promote fairness among member states, and enhance ECOWAS’s capacity to fund key integration initiatives across West Africa.