Ranking Member on Roads and Transport Committee Governs Kwame Agbodza has questioned the propriety of the government’s plan to burden road users of hike in road tolls.
The Roads and Highways Ministry has said Ghanaians should be ready to pay more in road tolls to aid in the provision of proper road infrastructure in the country.
According to the minister, this has become necessary as the Road Fund continues to grow lean against the huge need for road infrastructure.
But the Adaklu MP contends the intended road toll increment is unjustified and profligate and will be met with stiff opposition from the minority in parliament.
“The Road Fund as established by the NDC was intended to generate sustainable Tax Revenue for Road Maintenance and related works. Government currently gets about ghs1,800,000,000 from Road Fund, of which only ghs75,000,000 comes from Road Tolls.
“The Road Fund is projected to generate almost ghs2,000,000,000 this year. The sad story is that, President Akufo Addo through his Finance Minister takes away about ghs900,000,000 out of the Road fund under the counter-productive Capping Act passed by the npp. Why is the npp asking the public to pay more Road Tolls? The Road Minister is unable to justify why he can’t get the ghs900,000,000 paid by the public. There is no justification for an increase in road tolls.
“The Road Minister should rather ask for the Road Fund to be de-capped so he can get the GHs900,000,000 annually. Until then, we are totally opposed to any increment in road tolls.”
Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com/102.5 Fm
