Mr. Amoako-Atta, Minister for Roads and Highways, has mentioned that road toll which was abolished last year will be reintroduced but payment will be done electronically.
According to the Minister, the road tolls after its reintroduction in 2023 will be collected electronically and not by manned collectors.
We are going to build modern expressway which will come with tolling facilities but those tolling facilities will be electronic tolling facility…if it has to come, it will be done electronically. the Minister said.
The road toll which is part of government prime tools of revenue collection was abolished due to alleged corrupt practices that caused revenue leakages leading to government’s inability to rake in expected revenue from tolls and the undue traffic it created at toll booths.
Majority of Ghanaians criticized the government and the Minister for halting the collection of tolls rather than enhancing its collection electronically as many advanced countries practice.
The Minister explained that amount received from road tolls could not be enough in construction of roads and that Ghanaians must be prepared to pay more after it’s reinstated.
The whole year, we were getting an average of GH₵78 million depending upon the ground condition, that amount of money cannot even build 10km of road. We were paying the lowest toll in the whole world. Meanwhile, we want excellent and good roads in our country.
We want good things, we must be prepared to pay for more. We will no longer be paying the 50 pesewas and ₵1.
Some minority members also described the suspension of tolls collection and the dismissal of workers at the toll booths as a poor decision by the government and added that proper monitoring of its collection may rake in more than GHC 1 billion that can augment and boost the country’s revenue mobilization.
