The Government of Ghana’s plans to reintroduce road tolls in 2025 appear to be progressing, as a video circulating on social media shows ongoing renovation work at the Bonsa tollbooth in the Western Region.

The video, posted on X by GTV Ghana on Monday, October 28, 2024, shows construction workers steadily conducting maintenance on the tollbooth.

The toll booths, which will house toll collectors, are nearing completion, with workers beginning plastering. Additional minor works around the Bonsa tollbooth are also in progress.

Although the government has not yet specified an official start date for toll collection, Ghanaians anticipate beginning payments in 2025.

Background

The Minister for Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, announced the government’s plans to reintroduce road and bridge tolls in 2025.

During the mid-year budget presentation on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Dr. Amin Adam disclosed that deliberations are underway to create a road and bridge tolls framework. He emphasized that the reintroduction of tolls aims to support a modernized and efficient tolling system.

The collection of road tolls was previously halted following a directive from former Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta in 2021, aligning with the government’s proposal to abolish tolls, as revealed by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta during the 2022 budget presentation in November 2021.

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

Watch the video showing the renovation of Bonsa tollbooth below:

Bonsa Toll Booth in the Western Region under renovation.

A sign of what is to come? pic.twitter.com/R5IIAJttnr

— GTV Ghana (@GTV_Ghana) October 28, 2024