The Minister of Roads and Highways-designate, Mr Governs Kwame Agbodza, has reiterated government’s commitment to reintroduce road tolls as a measure to mobilise more revenue for the sector.
He said even though the new administration intended to reinstate the toll system, it would not be done in the same fashion as it was but rather new technology would be deployed to ensure efficiency in toll collection.
“With the modern methods and technological solutions, road tolls will be easier to collect and will likely improve the overall road maintenance and development process in the country,” he said.
Mr Agbodza disclosed this when he appeared before the Vetting Committee of Parliament in Accra yesterday.
Criticising the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration for its decision to scrap off the road tolls, he said the new system would factor in measures to reduce the traffic congestion that was occasioned as a result of the old toll booths.
The Minister of Roads and Highways-designate said it was unfortunate that despite all the caution raised by the then minority on the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament against the decision to abolish the toll system, the government still went ahead with the action.
He pointed out that road tolls had been a significant source of revenue for the Road Fund and was critical for maintaining and expanding the country’s road network.
“It is a matter that has attracted national attention. Accrual to the road fund was only GH¢250 million and we worked to increase it to GH¢1.5 billion, today, it is over GH¢2 billion, so we cautioned the government against cancelling the road tolls and we were surprised that they cancelled it. It was an act of illegality to cancel it,” he stressed.
Mr Agbodza stated that bringing back the road tolls was necessary to improve revenue collection and ensure the sustainability of road infrastructure development in the country.
He explained that the government’s decision to abolish road tolls potentially led to loss of revenue and the negative impact on road infrastructure development, adding that “We decided to caution the government not to cancel road tolls but to find a way to improve the system.”
While admitting that the previous system had its flaws, he said appropriate mechanisms could have been put in place to deal with those challenges, especially leakages in the collection of the fees.
He criticised the manner in which the toll system was cancelled, describing it as an act of “illegality.”
Mr Agbodza debunked claims that a paltry GH¢80million was what was accrued to the state, stressing that it could be misleading.
He said road contractors were currently owed substantial sums of monies which demonstrated the financial mismanagement and neglect surrounding the previous toll collection system.
To this end, Mr Agbodza said the new system would be fair and efficient, addressing the concerns of both road users and contractors while ensuring that road infrastructure projects receive the necessary funding.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
