General News of Tuesday, 23 July 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Mid-Year Budget: Government to reintroduce road and bridge tolls in 2025

Toll booth to be re-introduced play videoToll booth to be re-introduced

The Minister for Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has announced plans by the government to reintroduce the collection of road and bridge tolls in 2025.

During the mid-year budget presentation on Tuesday, July 23, Dr. Amin Adam disclosed that deliberations are underway to develop a road and bridge tolls framework.

He emphasized that the reintroduction of these tolls aims to facilitate the implementation of a modernized and efficient tolling system.

It will be recalled that the collection of road tolls ceased following a directive by the former Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, in 2021.

This cessation aligned with the government’s proposal to abolish road and bridge tolls, as revealed by the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, during the 2022 budget presentation in November 2021.

However, in May 2024, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia called for the reintroduction of road tolls to generate revenue for road infrastructure.

Underscoring the significance of road tolls, Dr. Bawumia stated, “Let us go back to a system of broad-based road tolls. The tolling system has to come back, and I think it will come back. It is a fundamental mistake of the government to place all road projects on the budget. The government doesn’t have enough money, and the private sector has to be brought in.”



MAG/OGB