Parliament has approved a 20-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession that clears the way for the reintroduction of road and bridge tolls through a fully electronic collection system across Ghana.
The concession agreement, signed between the Ministry of Roads and Highways and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be established by Rock Africa Limited, is expected to deliver a nationwide digital tolling system designed to improve revenue mobilisation for road infrastructure while eliminating the congestion associated with manual toll booths.
The approval followed Parliament’s consideration of a report by the Roads and Transportation Committee, with Members of Parliament debating the benefits of restoring toll collection, which was suspended in November 2021.
During the debate, the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and former Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, defended the previous government’s decision to abolish road tolls, saying it was intended to ease the financial burden on motorists following the introduction of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
“We abolished the road tolls for one simple reason. We did not want to burden Ghanaians with both the E-Levy and the road tolls. Basically, that was the reason,” he said.
Despite defending the earlier policy, Nitiwul endorsed the new electronic tolling model, arguing that advances in technology would eliminate many of the operational challenges experienced under the previous manual system.
“If the government decides that they will bring the road tolls, but it will be electronic, like what I have seen in South Africa, I think that I will support it,” he stated.
He explained that motorists would no longer have to stop at toll booths, allowing for smoother traffic flow and a more convenient payment process.
“If it’s electronic and it’s 20 years, I think it’s a good deal that Ghanaians should take. Because you will not even realise that there are road tolls. You pass, there will be a beep, and then you go; at the end of the month, they bring you a bill, and then you pay,” he added.
Nitiwul urged Parliament to support the concession, describing it as a practical and sustainable approach to financing Ghana’s road infrastructure.
Under the agreement, the private sector will be responsible for financing, designing, operating and maintaining the nationwide electronic tolling infrastructure through the Special Purpose Vehicle to be established by Rock Africa Limited.
The government has maintained that the transition to a digital tolling platform will improve operational efficiency, reduce revenue leakages and provide a more reliable source of funding for the maintenance and expansion of the country’s road network, while offering motorists a seamless travel experience without the delays associated with manual toll collection.
