The Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza has criticized the previous government’s decision to eliminate road tolls, calling it a “illegal act.”
He discussed the financial ramifications of the decision and the circumstances leading up to the contentious policy change during his vetting in Parliament on Monday, January 20.
Agbodza also made a suggestion that road tolls might be reinstated as a way to increase the amount of money raised for national development.
Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the then-Minister of Roads and Highways, ignored the concerns expressed by experts and stakeholders and went ahead with the decision in spite of their warnings.
Agbodza emphasized the decision’s financial consequences by pointing out that road tolls had been a substantial source of funding for the Road Fund, which is essential for preserving and growing the nation’s road system.
“It is a matter that has attracted national attention. Accrual to the road fund was only GH¢250 million and we worked to increase it to gh¢1.5 billion, today, it is over GH¢2 billion, so we cautioned the government against cancelling the road tolls and we were surprised that they cancelled it. It was an act of illegality to cancel it.”
