Finance Minister-Designate, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has affirmed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led government will reintroduce road tolls in Ghana, in accordance with the party’s 2024 manifesto.
During his vetting session before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, January 13, 2025, Ato Forson explained that the NDC had consistently pledged to bring back road tolls, a policy previously removed by the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He highlighted that the previous government had signaled the reintroduction of road tolls before its term ended, submitting it to Parliament, though it was not laid. He assured that the NDC would uphold its promise to reinstate the tolls, emphasizing, “If the road toll is a way to raise revenue, we will raise the revenue.”
Road tolls were first introduced in Ghana in the early 1990s as a means of generating revenue for the construction and maintenance of roads across the country.
They became a common feature on major highways and roads, with vehicles being required to pay a toll for using these routes.
However in 2021, the Akufo-Addo-led administration made the controversial decision to abolish road tolls as part of the budget for that year.
The government justified the decision by stating that the tolls had become inefficient and costly to collect, and that the revenue generated was minimal in comparison to the expenses involved in running the toll system.
The cancellation was then replaced with the controversial E-Levy.
