Ghana Highways Authority introduces point of sale device

The Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) is set to introduce point of sale devices at toll booths in the country.

A point of sale device is an electronic gadget used to process payments at retail locations by recording transactions done and printing out a receipt. The device based on traffic counts would enable tracking of tickets sales sold at any period by toll booth attendants.

That implies that an officer responsible for monitoring of sales could ascertain the progress of work in terms of sales transactions at the pressing of a button in his or her office.

The machine has been introduced to assist the GHA and the Ghana Road Fund Secretariat (GRFS) to curb the loss of revenue since it would minimise under-declaration of sales.

The GHA is the state entity mandated with collection of road levies on behalf of the GRFS and that system would help the GHA to control the human factor that has been the challenge in the attainment of the annual intended revenue targets.

Frederick Aduagyei, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of the GHA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the device is in its pilot stage in Accra and its environs and the results have been very encouraging.

On the employment of toll booth attendants, he said it is being done on a temporal basis but based on merit, adding that those appointments were subject to annual renewal, depending on performance.

Meanwhile drivers interviewed by the GNA in Sunyani commended the GHA for that effort saying the expected revenue targets would be obtained for the necessary funds to finance the construction of more roads and rehabilitate the existing deplorable ones.