The Tema Motor Way Toll Booth
The government has initiated a process to reintroduce road and bridge tolls to shore up domestic revenue.
The new tolls are expected to come with upward adjustments between 33.33 to 400 per cent.
The proposed new rate is being included in a new Legislative Instrument (LI) to amend the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022, (Act 1080).
The memorandum from the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, dated March 10, is seeking the input of the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, on the proposed new rates — that cars paying 50Gp must pay GH¢1 under the amended LI, while pick-ups, light duty trucks and mammy wagons must now pay GH¢1.50, up from the previous GH¢1.
Heavy buses and light goods trucks will now move away from paying GH¢1.50 to paying GH¢2, while medium goods trucks (three axles) and heavy duty goods trucks (four axles) will now pay GH¢3, from the GH¢2 they were paying before the collection of tolls on major highways and bridges was abolished.
Other proposed increments are heavy goods trucks which are five axles or more will now pay GH¢3.50, up from GH¢2.50, while motorbikes will now pay 50Gp, up from 10Gp, with agricultural tractors, with or without trailers, paying GH¢1, up from 50Gp.
Mr Ofori-Atta cited Section Six of Act 1080, which enjoins the minister to amend the schedules of the act to include or exclude ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and/or adjust the fees and charges collected by MDAs for their services through an LI, when necessary.
“We are by this letter conveying the proposed rates, as per the attached Appendix One, for input by the Ministry of Roads and Highways to enable the ministry to complete the schedule of fees under the pending LI,” the memorandum from the Finance Ministry said.
Background
The new development comes two years after the Ministry of Roads and Highways directed the cessation of toll collection across the country.
The government abolished the collection of all road and bridge tolls, effective November 18, 2021.
It was to remove some of the fees and charges the public paid to court support for the introduction of the new Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).