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Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised the Mahama administration’s plan to reintroduce road tolls, arguing that substituting one levy for another offers no relief to Ghanaians.
Speaking during parliamentary debates on ministerial nominees on Tuesday, January 21, the Effutu MP noted that the government’s decision to repeal the e-levy and reinstate road tolls would not reduce the financial strain on citizens.
“They claim they are going to repeal the e-levy law, introduce a road toll, and even charge more. So, the value is the same,” Afenyo-Markin said. “You claim you are committed to relieving the burden on the ordinary Ghanaian. If indeed you are committed to the ordinary Ghanaian, don’t introduce any road toll.”
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During his vetting on Monday, January 20, Roads and Highways Minister-Designate Kwame Agbodza defended the reintroduction of road tolls, assuring Parliament that the process would be modernised to avoid traffic congestion and inefficiencies.
“Yes, road toll is coming back, but not in the form of bringing obstructions on the road. It will be on a technical or mechanised platform that will make it easier to collect,” Agbodza explained.
He also addressed the financial challenges within the road sector, revealing an accumulated debt of GHS 130 million, with interest pushing the total to GHS 665.7 million.
“Whatever solution we have, we still owe, and we have to pay. That is why I say I will meet with the finance minister to see how we can deal with this; this is money being wasted,” Agbodza noted.
While Agbodza focused on addressing inefficiencies in road toll collection, Afenyo-Markin maintained that substituting one levy for another does not fulfil the government’s promise to reduce financial burdens. He urged the administration to reconsider its approach, arguing that Ghanaians deserve genuine relief rather than cosmetic changes.
