2024 Mid-year budget: It was a mistake to cancel road tolls; gov’t will reintroduce it in 2025 — Finance Minister

The Minister for Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has announced that the government plans to reintroduce the collection of road and bridge tolls starting in 2025.

This decision was disclosed during the mid-year budget presentation on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

Dr. Amin Adam revealed that government is currently deliberating on developing a comprehensive framework for road and bridge tolls.

He emphasized that the reintroduction aims to facilitate the implementation of a modernized and efficient tolling system.

The collection of road tolls was previously halted following a directive by former Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta in 2021.

This move was in line with the government's introduction of the E-levy announced by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta during the 2022 budget presentation in November 2021.

However, in May 2024, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia advocated for the reintroduction of road tolls to generate revenue for road infrastructure.

Dr. Bawumia explained the importance of tolls, stating, "Let us go back to a system of broad-based road tolls.

“The tolling system has to come back, and I think it will come back. It is a fundamental mistake of the government to place all road projects on the budget. The government doesn't have enough money, and the private sector has to be brought in."