Parliament has approved a concession agreement between the Ministry of Roads and Highways and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be established by Rock Africa Limited, paving the way for the return of road and bridge tolls through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). 

The arrangement is expected to facilitate private sector investment in the financing, deployment, operation and maintenance of a nationwide electronic toll collection system aimed at improving revenue generation for road infrastructure. 

The agreement received parliamentary approval after Members debated the report of the Roads and Transportation Committee with discussions focusing on the decision to reinstate tolls which were abolished in 2021. 

During the debate, the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, defended the previous Akufo-Addo administration’s decision to suspend road toll collection, saying the policy was adopted in response to the prevailing economic circumstances at the time. 

According to the former Defence Minister, the government sought to ease the financial burden on Ghanaians as it introduced the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) while also addressing the persistent traffic congestion caused by manual toll booths.

Despite defending the earlier decision, Dominic Nitiwul endorsed the proposed electronic tolling regime, describing it as a more efficient and convenient alternative to the previous system. 

He said the technology-driven approach would eliminate long queues at toll plazas, improve the experience of motorists and provide a sustainable source of funding for the country’s road network. 

Dominic Nitiwul therefore urged Members of Parliament to back the concession agreement, expressing confidence that the electronic tolling system would enhance road maintenance and infrastructure development across the country.