The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, has told the House that the state has not suffered any financial loss as a result of the abolition of road and bridge tolls.
"Mr. Speaker, there are a total of 38 toll booths across the country. The Ministry of Roads and Highways has not incurred any loss of revenue since the discontinuation of toll collection," Mr. Amoako-Attah said in response to a question from Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza, Member of Parliament (MP) for Adaklu. MP wanted to know from the Minister of Roads and Highways what is the estimated revenue loss due to the discontinuation of road and bridge toll collection as listed in the Ministry's press release dated November 17, 2021.
Mr. Amoako-Attah pointed out that after the presentation of the 2022 budget statement and the government's economic policy by the Minister of Finance on November 17, 2021, most road users refused to pay tolls at all locations in the country.
"During this period, there was confusion between road users and toll collectors. Mr. Speaker, in order to save lives and property at toll plazas, an order was issued to suspend toll collection," the minister said.
"Mr. Speaker, with the passage of the 2022 budget, tolls have been zeroed out and there will be no revenue for tolls in 2022."
Mr. Agbodza said that the Minister of Roads and Highways had announced the discontinuation of tolls before the budget was passed and that there would have been a loss of revenue at least until the day the budget was passed.
"The budget was not approved on the day it was read. So, Mr. Speaker, how much revenue has been lost so far? Even if it is two days, the Minister should be able to account for that."
He pointed out that the cessation of toll collection occurred prior to the passage of the 2022 budget, so there was at least a period of time between the day the Secretary of the Treasury read the budget and the day the budget was passed, so there would have been lost revenue by the time the budget was passed.
"So I am asking you, how much revenue has the state lost by stopping toll collection; since the day you made the announcement?"
Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker, who was in the chair, reminded the MP that the minister had already answered that question.
Mr. Agbodza said, "Mr. Speaker, is it that when ministers say things that we know are obviously not correct, we should accept them just because they are ministers? Because the budget was passed on a different day than the day he made the announcement. So there is a gap. Unless we want to say that everything that the ministers say is sacrosanct. But in that case, we could pretend that what he says is correct. It's not correct."
First Deputy Speaker: "He (the Minister of Roads and Highways) had answered that question. If you have another question."
Mr. Agbodza: "Mr. Speaker, does the minister have any intention of reintroducing toll collection?"
Mr. Amoako-Attah said the government is determined to use all sources of revenue for the Road Fund to build road infrastructure in the country, including revenue from tolls.
He said there are four main sources of revenue for the Road Fund, namely the fuel levy, toll booths, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and vehicles using the country's corridors.
He said of the nearly two billion Ghanaian cedis to be channeled into the fund, the fuel levy alone contributed no less than 94 percent, while the other three sources accounted for nearly six percent.
"The government, in its own wisdom, has proposed the introduction of the e-levy to generate more revenue for the construction of our country's road infrastructure for all of us," Mr. Amoako-Attah said.
"So the government is looking forward to the passage of the E-Levy, which will raise more revenue that will then be securitized and used, if possible, to raise bonds... To raise the bonds to build the road infrastructure."
"So the government is looking to implement a better form of tolling because toll revenue is included in the proposed E-Levy."