Politics - November 18, 2021

Stop collecting road, bridge tolls from today – Roads Minister directs

abrempongradiogh November 18, 2021

0 3 min read

Roads And Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Attah has directed that toll collection at the various toll booths across the country must be halted effective Thursday, November 18, 2021.

This follows an announcement government that motorists who ply tolled roads across the country, will no longer be required to pay tolls.

The Finance Minister disclosed this during the 2022 budget presentation on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday.

“Government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges. This takes effect immediately the Budget is approved,” Ken Ofori-Atta said while reading the 2022 budget to Parliament.

Despite this caveat, JoyNews has sighted a letter signed Roads and Highways Minister Kwasi Amoako-Attah directing that it be implemented midnight of Thursday 12th November 2021.

Stop collecting road, bridge tolls from today - Roads Minister directs

“Following the presentation of the 2022 Budget the Hon. Minister of Finance on behalf of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, the Ministry of Roads and Highways here directs the cessation of the collection of road and bridge tolls at all locations nationwide.

“This directive takes effect from 12am on Thursday, November 18, 2021,” part of the letter read.

It continued, “The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service will be on hand to provide security at the Toll locations from the effective date.

Motorists are kindly advised to approach the locations with caution and observe all safety measures that will be put in place.”

Government will introduce an Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy to increase tax revenues for the country, part of which will go into the building of roads and bridges.

The introduction of the E-Levy is occasioned the surge in mobile money transactions during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

According to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, the total transactions for 2020 were estimated to be over ¢500 billion compared to ¢78 billion in 2016, just five years ago.