Parliament has approved a concession agreement between the Ministry of Roads and Highways and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will be created by Rock Africa Limited.
This agreement facilitates the reintroduction of road and bridge tolls as part of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The agreement establishes a framework for private sector participation in financing, developing, operating and maintaining a nationwide electronic tolling system aimed at modernising road toll collection.
The approval followed a debate on the report of Parliament’s Roads and Transportation Committee, during which lawmakers discussed the return of road tolls, which were abolished in 2021.
Contributing to the debate, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, defended the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s decision to abolish road tolls, saying it was taken under the prevailing economic circumstances.
According to him, the decision was intended to ease the financial burden on Ghanaians following the introduction of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), while also addressing congestion at toll booths across the country.
“The second reason, Mr. Speaker, is that we abolished the road tolls for one simple reason. We did not want to burden Ghanaians with both the E-Levy and the road tolls. Basically, that was the reason,” Mr. Nitiwul told Parliament.
Despite defending the earlier decision, the former minister expressed support for the reintroduction of tolls through an electronic system, saying it would eliminate the inefficiencies associated with manual toll collection.
“If the government decides that they will bring the road tolls, but it will be electronic, like what I have seen in South Africa, I think that I will support it,” he said.
Mr. Nitiwul noted that an electronic tolling system would enable motorists to pass through tolling points without stopping, with charges billed electronically, making the process more convenient and reducing traffic congestion.
“If it’s electronic and it’s 20 years, I think it’s a good deal that Ghanaians should take. Because you will not even realise that there are road tolls. You pass, there will be a beep, and then you go; at the end of the month, they bring you a bill, and then you pay,” he added.
He urged Members of Parliament to support the concession agreement, arguing that the proposed electronic tolling system would provide a more efficient and sustainable mechanism for financing and maintaining the country’s road infrastructure.
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