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Roads Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta, has warned motorists to brace themselves for higher tolls on the roads starting in 2023.
He claimed that the money collected in road tolls was insufficient to build safe, sturdy roads. As a result, the fee would be increased in order to generate more funds to construct good roads in the country.
“We were paying the lowest toll in the whole world while we wanted excellent and good roads. If we want good roads then we must be prepared to pay more. We will no longer be paying the fifty pesewas and one cedi. Tolls are even more expensive abroad,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Amoako-Atta stated that the road toll payment will be via electronic means.
“We are going to build a modern expressway which will come with tolling facilities, but those tolling facilities will be electronic tolling facility. If it has to come, it will be done electronically,” said the Minister in an interview granted myjoyonline.com.
He further explained that “road tolls have not been cancelled or abolished since the law to collect tolls is still there.”
The road toll collection was halted in November 2021 and integrated into the electronic transaction levy (e-levy) as part of the government’s policy measures under the 2022 Budget.
However, a year after the implementation of the levy, the government has reintroduced the toll as one of its revenue collection measures in the 2023 budget which was presented to parliament by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
“The fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,” paragraph 462 of the 2023 Budget statement reads.
