Reintroduction of Road Tolls in Ghana

Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, recently announced the government’s plans to reintroduce road tolls on public roads. The minister made this declaration in the mid-year budget review presentation. There have been different interpretations of this plan by the general public. In this article, we will take a closer look at why road tolls are being brought back and how they will affect road users.

When Were Road Tolls Removed in Ghana?

In November 2021, the government proposed a bill that called for the removal of road tolls on all public bridges and roads. Their reason was that road tolls generate long queues and cause unnecessary traffic, which they said leads to low productivity.

This news came as a shock to road users because that meant the government would be losing revenue which they claimed was already low. There was a public outcry over this because it made no sense. Fast forward to the recent announcement, the Ghanaian public and media have been asking; “why was it abolished in the first place?’’

Reasons for the Reintroductions of Road Tolls?

The reintroduction of road tolls is to help the government recoup the money spent on new roads. While speaking to Citi FM on the Citi Breakfast Show, Stephen Jalula, the deputy minister of Roads and Highways, said: “The Minister was very clear; he said going forward, all PPP roads will be tolled. I think this is a novel way of improving road networks. Government is always constrained with funding. So it is impossible for government to catch up with the road needs, so the best way is to bring in investors, toll the roads to be able to pay them back.”

With this plan, the government aims to create a concession agreement between the Ministry of Road and Highways and the Ghana infrastructure investment fund (GIIF).

Where Would These Tolls Apply?

According to Ghanatoday, only Accra-Tema Motorway will have road tolls, as the plan to reintroduce road tolls pertains only to new and rehabilitated roads. This means that we will only see toll booths on new and improved public roads.

All the explanations given by the minister and his representatives still don’t seem to make sense to most Ghanaians. However, there seems to be a consensus that the tolls should have never been removed because it was a reliable source of revenue for the government, even though the congestion at the major toll booths was reduced, it still didn’t make sense because it seems as the road toll is making its way back around slowly.

To get more updates about the automotive industry in Ghana, subscribe to our blog and stay informed.