The government of Ghana has announced plans to reintroduce road tolls as part of a broader strategy to fund road maintenance and infrastructure development. This decision was revealed in the 2025 Budget Statement presented by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson before Parliament on Tuesday.
Road tolls, which were abolished in 2022, will be reinstated with a new technology-driven collection system aimed at improving efficiency and accountability. The move comes as Ghana grapples with substantial road sector debts, amounting to over GH¢100 billion in contract commitments and GH¢21 billion in arrears.
“The existing zero-rate policy for road tolls has exacerbated the situation and dimmed any prospects of raising enough revenue for road construction and maintenance,” Dr. Forson stated. “Accordingly, the government will work with stakeholders, including the private sector, to roll out a technology-driven solution to reintroduce road tolls in 2025 as part of the Big Push Programme.”
The Big Push Programme, a $10 billion strategic infrastructure initiative, is a key policy of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to drive economic growth under the 24-Hour Economy policy. The tolls are expected to provide a sustainable revenue stream for road construction and maintenance, reducing the burden on government borrowing.
While the details of the toll pricing structure and collection mechanisms are yet to be finalized, the government has assured that the new system will be designed to minimize leakages and ensure transparency. This could mean the introduction of electronic tolling systems, contactless payments, or automated booths to replace the previous manual collection method, which was criticized for inefficiencies and revenue losses.
The reintroduction of tolls aligns with the government’s strategy to strengthen internally generated funds (IGF) to finance infrastructure projects.
The Road Fund, which previously received allocations under the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, will now be fully uncapped, with GH¢2.81 billion allocated solely for road maintenance. This represents a 155.5% increase over the 2024 allocation of GH¢1.1 billion.
