Abandoned toll booths along major roads in the country will be put to work starting next year as part of the government's revenue generation plans.

This is according to measures contained in the 2023 Budget statement presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta on November 24, 2022.

“The fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,” paragraph 462 of the 2023 Budget statement reads.

Tolling was removed in the 2022 budget as the government moved to introduce the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) which revenue generation measure was dogged by controversies from its passage to its implementation.

Government in the 2023 Budget announced a reduction of the E-Levy rate from 1.5% to 1&% and the removal of a GHC300 threshold.

The Minority's ranking member on Transport in Parliament, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has welcomed the reintroduction of tolls but with a condition that monies raised will be strictly used for purposes of maintaining the roads.

“We welcome the decision by the Roads Minister to bring back road tolls. We take no pride in saying we told you so.

Mr. Speaker, it was populist, unnecessary and they were there shouting we are going to do it because we have e-levy…today they have brought a law here that they want to bring back road toll,” he said on the floor of the House.

SARA/PEN