Minister-designate for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has reaffirmed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) commitment to reintroducing road tolls.
During his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 13, 2025, Ato Forson stated that the government would reinstate the collection of road tolls.
“Mr Chairman, the NDC indicated from Day 1 that the road tolls will come back. We are not running away from it. In fact, the Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, at the time the then Minority Leader of the NDC, promised to bring back the road tolls. We have not run away from that fact. So I can assure you, we are a party that sticks to our promises. And whatever we have promised to do, we will do just that,” he told the committee.
Ato Forson further argued that road toll collection is a globally accepted practice and a vital source of funding for road maintenance.
“If you use the road, you pay a toll. It is a standard practice worldwide. Ghana will not be the first or last country to adopt this,” he explained.
In November 2021, Ken Ofori-Atta, the then Minister of Finance, announced the abolishment of all tolls on public roads and bridges.
The decision took effect immediately, sparking debates on its impact on road infrastructure funding.
The NDC, while in opposition, consistently opposed the policy, maintaining that tolls were necessary for sustainable infrastructure development.