Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Roads and Highways, has presented a compelling argument in favor of reintroducing road tolls in Ghana.
He says the reintroduction will help raise enough money to close the infrastructure deficit because most developed nations rely on toll revenue to fund their roads.
Speaking to reporters during an evaluation visit of the Accra-Kumasi Highway, he made the call.
“Before we take action, maintenance also needs money. Many countries use the tolls they collect, the monies from road tolls to finance maintenance. But in our case, we have suspended it.
“I think it’s a good time for us to have a discussion. We need to bring back these road tolls so that we can get money to maintain our roads.
“That’s very important. So, other ministries, we have started the process by engaging the various stakeholders to make sure that we bring the road toll back. I’ve never seen any serious country where they don’t toll their roads,”” he stated in an interview.
In his speech, Mr. Asenso-Boakye, who also serves as the MP for Bantama, emphasized the importance of timely upkeep for the Eastern Corridor roads, pointing out some of their worsening conditions.
In 2021, the government discontinued road toll collecting after enacting the e-levy, which fell short of expectations. There have been many requests to reinstate the tolls.
To prevent losses for the state, supporters have insisted that if the tolls are reinstated, they must do so in a digitalized format.
Check out the post below:
Minister for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye is calling for the reintroduction of road tolls.
The toll collection was halted in 2021 as part of government policy measures. During an inspection of the Accra-Kumasi Highway, the minister emphasized the importance of… pic.twitter.com/raZPJ7abdH
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