Outline Of Proposed Adjustments In Road Tolls 

The Ministry of Finance has proposed an upward adjustment in road tolls as the government buckles it boots to bring back the collection of road tolls.

Road toll collection was scrapped by the government in the 2022 budget statement and Economic Policy, however, in November 2022, while reading the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, announced its comeback.

“The fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,” a part of the 2023 Budget statement reads.

The Minister for Road and Highway, Kwasi Amoako Atta, followed this up with the announcement that the tolls would be increased in 2023 when it is reinstated.

This, the government said, was to restore macroeconomic stability.

Proposition

Formerly motorbikes were paying 0.10ps; cars 0.50ps; pickups GHc1; light buses GHc1; Mommy Wagon GHc1; Heavy buses GHc1.50; Light Goods truck GHc1.50; Medium Goods truck GHC2; Heavy Goods truck GHc2; Agricultural Tractor 0.50ps; and Agricultural tractor with trailer 0.50ps.

The Ministry is now proposing to increase toll for motorbikes to GHc50; cars GHC1; light buses GHc1.50; light buses GHc1.50; Mommy Wagon GHc1.50; Heavy buses GHc2; Medium Goods truck GHC3; Heavy Goods truck GHc3; Agricultural Tractor GHC1; and Agricultural tractor with trailer GHC1.

According to Amoako Atta, this will enable the government to build good roads across the country.

“We were paying the lowest toll in the whole world while we wanted excellent and good roads. If we want good roads then we must be prepared to pay more. We will no longer be paying the fifty pesewas and one cedi. Tolls are even more expensive abroad,” he said according to JoyNews.

He also said the toll will now be collected electronically.

“We are going to build a 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,” JoyNews cites him as saying.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini