Decision to reintroduce road tolls long overdue – Dr. Theo Acheampong

Renowned Economist and Political Risk Analyst, Dr. Theo Acheampong, has lauded government's decision to reintroduce the collection of road tolls.

He opined that the decision was long overdue.

According to him, all across the world, the payment of road tolls was compulsory and mandatory.

Dr Acheampong added that toll collection was a relevant source of government funding for the development of the country, thus, was shocked when the Akufo-Addo-led administration decided to scrap the payment of road tolls.

“It is a good decision. Everywhere in the world, people pay road toll. So when it was scrapped, I actually said it didn’t make much sense to scrap it in the first instance," he said.

“It indicates the policy incoherence and inconsistency. So bringing it back is good, increasing the toll amount, I fully support that”, Dr Acheampong said while speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme and monitored by GhanaWeb.

The government has revised the schedules of the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022, (Act 1080).

The amendments are in line with the government’s intention to restart collecting tolls on some roads pending the completion of the steps to identify the roads and highways to be affected by the reintroduction of the tolls.

To this end, the Ministry of Finance has commenced the procedures, necessary to determine the toll foundation rates while the Ministry of Roads and Highways considers them.

This year, the government will resume the collection of road tolls on selected roads in the country.

The reinstatement of the road toll was one of the revenue-generating plans in the 2023 budget that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, submitted to Parliament last November.

Payment of tolls on public roads ceased in November 2021 as part of policy measures announced by the government in the 2022 Budget a move that displaced several road toll collectors.

EAN/ESA