The Minister of Finance-designate, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced plans for the Mahama-led government to reintroduce road tolls in Ghana as a measure to raise revenue for road maintenance and infrastructure projects. Speaking during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Dr. Ato Forson emphasized that the abolition of road tolls Ghana in favor of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy) significantly reduced the revenue available for maintaining public roads.
“Once you use the road as an individual, you have to pay a toll to maintain it. Hence, bringing back the toll booths is a good initiative,” Dr. Forson said. He further assured that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would not shy away from difficult decisions necessary to generate sustainable revenue streams for national development.
Before their cancellation four years ago, road tolls Ghana generated about GH¢39 million monthly and GH¢72.5 million annually. These funds were critical for financing periodic maintenance and rehabilitation of public roads. However, the decision to abolish tolls to ease traffic congestion led to a gap in revenue generation, leaving many road projects uncompleted.
Dr. Forson stated that reinstating road tolls Ghana aligns with international best practices, where toll revenues are used to finance road maintenance and development. He added that under the Mahama-led government, toll collection would be centralized and made more efficient to ensure accountability and minimize revenue leakages.
The return of road tolls in Ghana is expected to support the completion of uncompleted road projects, provide a steady stream of revenue for infrastructure maintenance, and reduce the reliance on external borrowing for such projects. Additionally, the government plans to implement measures to minimize traffic congestion at toll booths, which was a key concern leading to the previous abolition.
Many countries worldwide rely on toll revenues to maintain their roads and expand infrastructure. Dr. Forson argued that Ghana’s reinstatement of tolls would mirror these successful global examples while addressing the nation’s pressing infrastructure needs.
As Ghana continues to explore sustainable ways to finance its infrastructure, the reintroduction of road tolls Ghana could signal a shift towards self-reliance in funding road development projects.
