The Ministry of Roads and Highways has said that a letter making rounds suggesting the reintroduction of road tolls this year is not official.
In the letter dated Friday, March 10, Mr Ofori-Atta gave his Ministry’s inputs regarding proposals on the fees and charges tabled for approval by the Roads Ministry.
Per what has been sighted by happyghana, there is a composite average increase rate of 88.05 percent across board.
According to Nasir Yartey who is Public Relations Officer for the Roads Ministry, the said letter is not authorized and the roads Ministry has no knowledge of it.
Speaking on Epa Hoa Daben show the PRO said. “The said letter is a leaked document, we can’t speak to it, and we the roads ministry don’t know anything about it.”
When Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. John Kumah was contacted on the said letter, he indicated that it’s a leaked document.
The road tolls were cancelled in 2022 after Mr Ofori-Atta read that year’s budget in Parliament, introducing the Electronic Transaction Levy to rake in more revenue from a larger section of the public.
However, after revenue shortfalls from the e-Levy, the Minister announced a reintroduction of tolls in the 2023 budget read on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
“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,” the Finance Minister stated in Parliament.
By: Joseph Nii Ankrah
