Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has announced plans to reintroduce road tolls in 2025 through a technology-driven system aimed at ensuring efficiency and generating revenue for road infrastructure development. Speaking in Parliament during the budget presentation on March 11, he emphasized that although road tolls on public roads were set to zero in 2022, the demand for road construction and infrastructure improvements continues to grow.
Simultaneously, significant arrears and financial claims in the sector remain unresolved. To address these challenges, Ato Forson assured that the government, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the private sector, will implement a modernized toll collection system that maximizes revenue potential without causing undue inconvenience to road users.
“Mr Speaker, Ghanaians and this Honourable House will recall that road tolls on public roads were zero-rated in 2022. Demand for construction and improvement of road infrastructure continues to increase, even as substantial arrears and claims in the road sector remain.
While the annual average collections from road tolls have not been significant compared to their potential, the existing zero-rate policy has worsened the situation and diminished any prospects of raising enough revenue for road construction and maintenance.
“Accordingly, the government will work with stakeholders, including the private sector, to roll out a technology-driven solution to reintroduce road tolls in 2025 as part of the Big Push Programme,” he stated.
By: Patricia Boakye
