Roads Ministry justifies the need for increased road toll in Ghana
The Ministry of Roads and Highways has sent a proposal to Cabinet for an increment in road tolls to help increase revenue for the road fund.
According to the Sector Minister, Kwasi Amoako Attah, the increment was needed to help improve the cash flow into the road fund so as to be able to pay contractors.
“As at now, I have sent a memo to Cabinet asking for an increase in the tolls all aimed at trying to improve revenue base and to improve the cash flow into the road fund so that the road fund board chairman and his board members will cease to sweat.”
Speaking at the Ghana Highway Authority 2019 board and management retreat, he also said an increment was needed “so that our contractors can be paid and we can finance the road infrastructure that we want to give to our people and our country.”
Describing the current state of many toll booths as “so filthy”, the Minister said, “we are not getting the expected revenue out of the toll booths.”
Minister disclosed that, after a survey, his Ministry has become aware of the fact that “we are losing a minimum of 40 per cent [revenue], maximum 80 per cent revenue from our toll booths.”
There are 35 tollbooths in the country.
Plans are in place to automate all toll booths in the country, but only 4 out of the 35 toll booths had so far been automated.
The four are the Ngleshie Amanfrom, Accra Plaza, Tema Plaza and the Amasaman booths.
The automation is envisioned to increase the toll booth contribution to the road fund.
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As of now, the highest contributor to the road fund is the fuel levy.
The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) raked in GHc1.8 million in 2018 from the toll booths constructed on highways across the country.
