President John Dramani Mahama has called on African Union (AU) member states to fully implement the Union’s 0.2% levy on eligible imports, arguing that the measure is critical to securing the organisation’s financial independence.
He made the call during a meeting with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and his delegation, who paid a courtesy visit to him in Accra.
President Mahama maintained that the levy should be viewed as a contribution from African citizens rather than government funds, with states serving primarily as collection agents.
“It’s not government money to the AU; it’s the people’s money. Government is only a collecting agency,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which applies a 0.5% community levy to finance its operations, the President urged AU member states to demonstrate similar commitment to the continental body’s funding mechanism.
The AU delegation welcomed his position and pledged its full support as he prepares to assume the AU Chairmanship in January.
Mr. Youssouf and his team expressed confidence in President Mahama’s leadership, citing his advocacy for reparative justice and efforts to advance reforms within Africa’s financial institutions.
President Mahama, in turn, pledged to engage other African leaders to build consensus and secure their support for the full implementation of the levy.
The discussions also covered the Accra Reset Initiative, which seeks to strengthen Africa’s sovereignty and resilience through improved vaccine production, access to vaccines and stronger health systems.
On the continent’s economic challenges, President Mahama stressed the importance of addressing Africa’s debt burden through effective debt treatment approaches and sustainable mechanisms for managing public debt.
The delegation also discussed regional security and relations among African countries, with Mr. Youssouf commending the President’s efforts to ease tensions between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
He further acknowledged President Mahama’s role in promoting the AU’s reparations agenda on the international stage.
