In order to increase the financing of major roads in Ghana, the Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Attah has indicated that the first thing he will do is to increase road towards when he is approved as Minister.
He said that Ghana’s toll rate is the lowest in the world and this makes it unattractive to investors who would have wished to finance roads through a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement.
He, therefore, indicated that if Ghanaians want to enjoy good roads, then they should be prepared to pay more tolls.
“Public Private Partnership (PPP), BOT, all these arrangements are feasible but the most important thing is that when you tow that line, it means the potential investor would have to toll the road, but at the moment Ghana pays the lowest toll in the whole world.
“Ghana pays the lowest rate, so if you want to go the BOT way, the research that has been done is that on the average, toll rate is around a dollar which is close to GH₵6, but in this country, people pay 50 peswas for toll rate.
“ … If I am given the approval, it is one of the things that I am going to do first. I desire to go to Cabinet with a proposal to increase road tolls and bring it to parliament for approval.”
Mr Amoako-Attah made the comment when he appeared before the Appointments Committee in parliament yesterday to respond to questions focused on the country’s road networks, what needs to be done to improve same, how contracts are being awarded, as well as some abandoned road projects.
He made the comment when Mr Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee asked what innovative ways the government, through his ministry, will introduce to enhance the funding of major roads in Ghana. The member further enquired if the government will tow the Public Private Partnership (PPP) line or the BOT line.
Mr Muntaka’s question was based on the fact that most roads in Ghana haven’t been done, which is a worry to many Ghanaians.
Earlier, the Minister-designate had alluded to the fact that Ghana’s road network put together is about 80, 000kms and as of 2017, only 23% had seen bitumen. He said the rest are just gravel and earth.
He said the Akufo-Addo led administration through its year of road in during the previous administration managed to construct more roads but there are a lot more to be constructed and financing is major source of challenge.
The Minister-designate said that both PPP and BOT are plausible ways of getting investors to fund Ghana’s roads, but if we are to go for instance the BOT way, then our tolls would not help the process hence the need to increase them.
Mr Amoako-Attah said that people in other countries pay tolls close to a dollar, but Ghanaians pay peanuts and yet complain.
He said the last time tolls were increased, Ghanaians complained and drivers threatened to go on strike, meanwhile they want good roads.
“We pay the lowest toll rates in the whole world, meanwhile we want good roads. Ghanaians should be prepared to pay for good roads. I recall the last time that toll rates were increased just from 50 peswas to GH₵1, there was so much crying. Drivers said they will go on strike and all that, so are Ghanaians prepared to pay more to get good roads?”
He said if Ghanaians want good roads then they should be prepared to pay more. He called on his colleague Members of Parliament to support him when he advocates for toll rate increment. He also called on Ghanaians to embrace the idea and throw their support behind him to ensure that Ghana’s roads become the best.
“I believe all of you here will support me and Ghanaians will also support it because the issue is are people prepared to pay more to get good roads or they prefer to get good roads before they pay.”
