Finance Minister-Designate Dr. Ato Forson Confirms Reintroduction of Road Tolls in Ghana
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Ghana’s Finance Minister-designate, has confirmed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led government will reintroduce road tolls as part of its policy agenda outlined in the 2024 manifesto.
During his vetting before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on January 13, 2025, Forson reiterated the NDC’s commitment to fulfilling its promise to bring back road tolls, a policy previously abolished by the Akufo-Addo-led government. “The previous government indeed removed the road toll, but towards the end of their tenure, they signaled that the road toll is coming back,” Forson explained, highlighting that although a concession agreement was made to reintroduce the toll, it was not formally laid before Parliament.
Forson stressed that the NDC has always been clear about its stance on the matter. “The NDC indicated from day one that the road toll will come back. We are not running away from it. So I can assure you we are a party that sticks to our promises,” he affirmed. He further explained that if road tolls are an effective way to generate revenue for the country, the NDC government would proceed with their reintroduction. “If the road toll is a way to raise revenue, we will raise the revenue,” Forson added.
Road tolls were initially introduced in Ghana in the early 1990s as a means to generate funds for road construction and maintenance. The tolls became a fixture on major highways, with vehicles required to pay for using certain routes. However, in 2021, the Akufo-Addo administration made the controversial decision to abolish the road toll system, arguing that it had become inefficient, costly to collect, and the revenue generated was not commensurate with the operational expenses.
Instead, the government replaced road tolls with the contentious Electronic Levy (E-Levy), which was met with significant public backlash. The NDC’s pledge to reintroduce road tolls has reignited debate over how the government should generate revenue for infrastructure development and whether road tolls remain a viable solution in Ghana’s current economic landscape.
