Finance Minister-Designate and member of parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed that the new John Mahama-led government will reintroduce road tolls in the country as a revenue-generating measure.
The former deputy minister made this known when he met the appointments committee during his vetting in parliament on Monday, January 13, 2025. He also revealed the erstwhile government’s plan to reintroduce it, which unfortunately didn’t materialize.
“The previous government indeed removed the road toll, but towards the end, they signaled that the road toll is coming back. They submitted it to Parliament, but it was not laid despite a concession agreement with a company to reintroduce it,” he stated.
Read More:
- Mahama Cuts Down Ministries to 23 in Civil Service Restructuring
- US: President-Elect Donald Trump Sentenced in NY Hush Money Case Days Before Inauguration
- Mahama Announces First Set of Ministerial Appointments
According to the minister-designate, road toll reintroduction had always been a campaign promise of the ruling government since its collection ceased, therefore, the plan to have it back is just the NDC’s commitment to fulfilling promises.
“The NDC indicated from day one that the road toll will come back. We are not running away from it. So, I can assure you we are a party that sticks to our promises. And whatever we have promised to do, we will do just that. If the road toll is a way to raise revenue, we will raise the revenue,” he added.
In November 2021, the then minister of roads and highways, Amoako Atta through his ministry called for the cessation of road tolls in the country. The action was backed by the then finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, when he canceled it in the 2022 budget, citing the need to enhance productivity, reduce environmental pollution, and reduce the heavy traffic that road tolls were found to cause nationwide.
Many argued against the economic rationality of the cessation of road tolls, calling it illegal as road toll is backed by law, and the resulting unemployment the action would cause.