Kofi Bentil, the vice president of Imani Ghana, has strongly opposed the usage of toll booths as a revenue collecting tool, calling them expensive and ineffective. His remarks come after Finance Minister-designate Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson recently issued a statement outlining plans to bring back toll collection nationwide.

Bentil questioned the toll system's rationale in a January 14, 2025, Facebook post, highlighting the significant time and money lost at toll booths for tiny returns. By saying, "It doesn’t make sense to waste time and stress for an hour just to pay Gh₵1," he blasted the tolls and emphasized that the upkeep of toll booths far exceeds the money they bring in.

According to Bentil, the government is essentially "penny wise and pound foolish" when it comes to the toll system, which is an expensive and ineffective means to raise money. In an effort to strengthen the system, he suggested other ways for authorities to finance infrastructure.

Adding a more contemporary approach to the problem, Imani Ghana's president, Franklin Cudjoe, also participated in the discussion. In response to Bentil's post, Cudjoe proposed that in order to replace lengthy lines at toll booths, the government could raise toll prices and switch to an electronic system. An electronic approach will simplify the payment procedure and ease traffic, he underlined.

Bentil endorsed this concept and proposed two potential substitutes: including toll payments into car registration costs or employing electronic toll collection systems that don't require drivers to stop. These recommendations are in line with the demand that public infrastructure funding be more efficient and modern.

After Dr. Ato Forson stated that he intended to restore toll collecting as part of a larger plan to boost government revenue, this critique was made.

Source: Mynewsgh