The government in the 2022 budget abolished road tolls after it announced the introduction of the electronic transaction levy (E-Levy).
A year down the line government has proposed the reintroduction of the road toll with new charges.
The Finance Ministry per a memo titled: Reintroduction of Road Tolls - Amendment of the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022, (Act 1080) says “it is provided under Section 6 of Act 1080 for the Minister to amend the schedules of the Act to include or exclude MDAs and/or adjust the fees and charges collected by MDAs for their services through a Legislative Instrument, when necessary.
“Accordingly, this Ministry has initiated steps to provide for foundational rates for tolling of roads and highways as part of the amendments of the Act, pending completion of the process to identify the roads and highways to be affected by the reintroduction of the road tolls as stated in the Budget".
This u-turn has however generated criticisms against the ruling government.
Political analyst, Yaw Asani Tanoh says the government should've listened to earlier calls from Ghanaians not to scrap the collection of the tolls. According to him, the Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta "who rushed" in suspending the toll should be charged with causing financial loss to the state.
However, Kwaku Atta Sarpong, the Ashanti Regional Deputy Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has clapped back insisting government should be commended and not criticised for reversing its decision.
"You chastised us for suspending it and you are again criticizing us for bringing it back; so what do you want us to do? I don’t understand...You criticized us for suspending it (tolls); now that it’s back, we should be commended. This is common sense…" he fired.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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