NPP MP welcomes government's decision to reintroduce road toll in 2023

Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru in the Eastern Region, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has welcomed the reintroduction of road tolls in 2023.

The lawmaker believes the reintroduction will help government mobilise enough revenue to cushion the nation amid the prevailing economic hardship.

“I welcome the decision by the Roads Minister to bring back road tolls.

Only 10% of our road networks are classified as economic roads and can be tolled as well. The remaining 90% are seen as social roads which cannot be tolled. Meaning 90% of vehicles in our roads just use the roads without contributing a penny for its maintenance," he said.

" I welcome Government’s decision to reintroduce the toll collection but I will rather propose a vehicle use tax that will cover every vehicle or road user to ensure that all vehicle owners contribute to the pot for road maintenance. it’s either the Government put tollbooths on every tarred roads in the country to ensure that all road users pay for it use or Government should consider introducing an annual or half year road use taxes to ensure that every vehicle owner contributes to the pot for road maintenance,” Kennedy Osei Nyarko told Accra-based Original FM91.9

He described the tolls as one of the easiest and most convenient taxes for Ghanaians.

On November 17, 2021, government announced that motorists who ply tolled roads across the country will no longer be required to pay tolls.

The government will reintroduce the collection of road toll on selected roads in the country next year.

The reintroduction of the road toll is one of the revenue measures contained in the 2023 budget presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta last week.

“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.