Two years after abolishing road tolls in the wake of the contentious passage of the Electronic Transactions Levy (E-Levy), the government is considering the reintroduction of tolls starting in 2024.
Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, disclosed on the floor of Parliament (December 15, 2023) during defence of his ministry’s budget estimates as contained in the 2024 budget.
On his part, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin explained why it was important to bring back the toll collection while emphasizing the need to cut down on corruption by way of monies collected ending up in private pockets.
“The committee tells us that road tolls are likely to be introduced. I believe that for good reason government had a policy of not having tolls collected.
“Mr. Speaker, at the time we were receiving almost about, just a little over 70 million,” he referenced a report that said over 70% of tolls collected ended up in wrong hands.
He continued: “I hold the view that this reintroduction of the road tolls… should come with a digitalised solution to sustain it so that the human interface will be minimized if not to be eradicated.”
Some lawmakers on the side of the Minority also supported the idea of toll reintroduction. In recent times, former employees of the booths protested non-payment of their arrears and failure to give them alternative employment after their jobs were affected by the closure of collection points.
As it stands now, government will have to invest new funds in rebuilding most toll collection points which have deteriorated as a result of abandonment.
Parliament, meanwhile, approved GH₵4.6 billion for the ministry’s operations next year.
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Toll booth | File photo