Parliament has approved a concession agreement for the re-introduction of road and bridge tolls through a nationwide electronic toll collection system under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The agreement establishes the legal and commercial framework for the financing, design, construction, operation, maintenance and eventual transfer of an electronic tolling system intended to improve revenue collection and support road infrastructure maintenance.
The concession is between the Ministry of Roads and Highways, acting on behalf of the Government of Ghana, and a special purpose vehicle to be incorporated by Rock Africa Limited, which will mobilise private investment for the development and operation of the system.
Under the agreement, electronic tolling will be implemented at 66 locations across the country, comprising 38 existing toll booths and 28 newly identified strategic tolling points spread across 13 operational corridors.
The concession provides for a gross revenue-sharing arrangement in which the Government of Ghana will receive 70 per cent of toll revenues, while the concessionaire will retain 30 per cent.
The agreement is expected to enhance toll collection through internationally accepted electronic tolling technology, restore a sustainable source of funding for road maintenance, improve operational efficiency, reduce revenue leakages and strengthen transparency in toll administration.
The concession will run for 20 years, including three years for design and construction and 17 years for operation and maintenance. At the end of the concession period, all project assets will be transferred to the Government.
The agreement was laid before Parliament on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources on behalf of the Minister of Roads and Highways. It was subsequently referred to the Roads and Transportation Committee for scrutiny.
Parliament approved the agreement after the Chairman of the Roads and Transportation Committee, Isaac Adjei Mensah, presented the committee’s report and recommended its adoption.
Seconding the motion, the Ranking Member on the committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, said the committee concluded that reintroducing road and bridge tolls would significantly boost revenue for the Road Fund to support maintenance of the country’s road network.
He recalled that the previous administration suspended toll collection in 2022 to allow for reforms and the expansion of the tolling system.
“By the time the previous administration left office, Cabinet had already approved a roadmap for the re-introduction of road tolls,” he said, adding that he was pleased the current government had continued with the initiative.
Supporting the motion, the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, urged the House to approve the agreement but explained that the previous government had suspended road tolls to avoid imposing multiple financial burdens on Ghanaians at a time the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) had been introduced.
He said the decision was also influenced by long queues at toll booths, which resulted in delays and increased fuel consumption.
“We realised that removing road tolls, which generated less than GH¢100 million annually, while implementing the E-Levy was the more practical option at the time,” he said.
Mr Nitiwul, however, expressed support for the new arrangement, noting that the electronic tolling system would eliminate traffic congestion and improve convenience for motorists.
“The road tolls are electronic and the concession is for 20 years. I think it is good for us to support it,” he said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
