Private tollbooth operators indebted to government

Seven private operators engaged by the government to collect tolls on some of the country's roads and bridges, owe the Ghana Road Fund (GRF), GH¢833,631.04 according to the Auditor-General's Report on a special audit carried out on the tollbooths, between January 2008 and June 2010.

The report said though the GRF had referred the matter to the Attorney-General's office for prosecution no action has been taken on it yet.

The road toll collection was privatised in 2005 but in 2008, the Road Find Board phased out the role of private operators and handed over the collection to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) in September 2009.

The report, as published on the website of the Ghana Audit Service, expressed worry that the inability to retrieve the moneys from the defaulters had deprived the GRF the needed resources to carry out its mandate of maintaining the country's road network.

The report has, therefore, urged the GRF “to send a reminder to the AG's office seeking an update of the status of the legal action on the case.”

It said all legitimate avenues should be explored to ensure that the amount is retrieved from these private operators.”

The defaulters are Oti Yeboah, Kumasi-Sunyani road, GH¢142,760.56; Seidu Mahama, Kumasi-Mampong road, GH¢ 1 06,650.00; Sedan Ventures, Accra-Tema motorway, GH¢24,550; Bet Buttco Ltd., Accra-Tema motorway, GH¢5,442.89; Kapplan, Sunyani-Dormaa GH¢42,323.25; Tropic Oil, Kumasi-Mampong, GH¢27,200.00 and Lakayama Ltd., Kumasi-Sunyani, GH¢14,532.45.

Others are VAG, Tema-Akosombo, GH¢46,597.87; Sedan Venture, Ashaiman motorway, GH¢8,750.00; McGoerge Ent. Kumasi-Mampong (Aboaso) GH¢32,039.46; McGorge Ent. Kumasi-Mampong (Kyere-faso), GH¢4,249.8; Infrast Dev. Soromaso, GH¢22,106.21; Prime Star, Sogakope bridge, GH¢73,600,00; K.D.V. Lexico, Adomi Bridge, GH¢24,250,00 and Eva Asa Ltd., Beposo Bridge, GH¢59,000.00.

The rest are Abba Building Centre, Beposo Bridge, GH¢30,000, Alolo Bro, Bambio Bridge, GH¢9,050.00; Alolo Bro, Sogakofe 2, GH¢135,000.00; Waraing Co. Ltd., Kade, GH¢18,673.75; Enterprise Ivest, Adomi 2, GH¢24,300.00, Abba Building Centre, Ankobra, GH¢ 1 ,581.00 and Top Target Co. Ltd., Dunkwa, GH¢3,100.00.

In September,1997,the GRF Act 1997 (Act536) was promulgated with the objective of providing a framework for effective management of the fund's revenue driver from international transit fee, Road Tolls and Vehicle Registration and road use fee are collected respectively by the custom division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Highway Authority and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.

The road fund is used for routine and periodic maintenance of roads which include rehabilitation, upgrading, road safety activities and projects carried out by GHA, Department of Feeder Roads and Road Safety Commission.

But the report said “the fund does not appear to have halted the deplorable state of the road network it was intended to address as the poor road conditions are still prevailing.”