We Are Not In Support Of Cancelation Of Road And Bridge Tolls ...Ghana Road Contractors Fires At Government And Prez Akufo-Addo
Members of the Association of Road Contractors Ghana have vented their anger at the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako Atta for worsing their plights of formulating what they described as a"killer and wicked policies," ostensibly to prolong the government to settle the debts of all road contractors it owes.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
Members of the Association of Road Contractors Ghana have vented their anger at the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwesi Amoako Atta for working their plights of formulating what they described as "killer and wicked policies," ostensibly to prolong the government to settle the debts of all road contractors it owes.
Consequently, the aggrieved contractors called on Ghanaians to blame the sector Minister for the current growth rates of the deaths of the various road constructors in the country.
Speaking in a random interview with Soireenews.com on Friday, March 4, 2022, the road contractors lamented that some of their colleagues have died from numerous pressures from the banks which they secured the loans to execute the government road projects but the state persistently refused to pay debts of road contractors it owes.
According to them, the government didn't consult the executive members of the Association of Road Contractors who are the key stakeholders in the road construction industry before it went ahead to cancel all the road and bridge tolls in the country and now wanted to introduce the electronic transaction (E-Levy) taxation in place of the road and bridge tolls.
They pointed out that they were not in support of the decision of the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to cancel the collection of the road and bridge tolls which is currently affecting the economic lives of many Ghanaians who are doing their daily businesses in the various toll booths to take care of their households.
The road contractors described Mr. Amoako Atta as a "Cameleon," stressing that they were surprised that the Roads and Highways Minister would bypass them to allow the government to cancel the road and bridge tolls without recourse to the suffering of many Ghanaians who plied their business activities in the various toll booths.
"We are making this statement because the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwesi Amoako Atta has held a meeting with the executive members of the Association of Road Contractors to brainstorm how to increase the road and bridge tolls in Ghana.
"And in that meeting we all have agreed with the sector Minister to go ahead to facilitate the implementation of the increment of the road tolls and Mr. Kwesi Amoako Atta has sent the report to the Parliament and we are waiting for the parliamentary approval of the increment on the road tolls.
"So it came to us as a big surprise when the E-Levy matter came out and the road and bridge tolls were canceled by the government with the consultation of the sector Minister which we, the members of the Association of Road Contractors Ghana found it extremely difficult to understand the whole things by the government.
"... and now the Minster is saying that government will settle the debts of all road contractors it owes as soon as the E-Levy is implemented. We have also overheard the Minister saying that the number of deplorable roads in the country would be fixed with the revenue generated from the E-levy.
"This is completely wicked and unacceptable, so we telling the public that was not in support of the decision of the government to cancel the collection of the road and bridge tolls which is affecting economic lives of many Ghanaians in the country," the aggrieved road contractors who spoke in the condition of anonymity stated.
According to them, they believed strongly that one-month revenue generated from the collection of the road tolls can be used by the government to settle the payment owed two or three road contractors but they canceled the tolls without the consent and knowledge of the stakeholders in the road sector.
"Let us assume the whole year the revenue generated from the collection of road and bridge tolls are about GH¢72 million, so divided that GH¢72 million by six it would give you GH¢12 million and that 12 divided by two it also give you GH¢ 6 million. So can it government use this money to settle the payment of a contractor to help safe lives but the minister through the government went ahead without even consulting us to cancel the collection of the road and bridge tolls," the contractors stated.
The contractors called on the government to rescind its decision to bring back the collection of the road and bridge tolls and cancel the proposed controversial E-Levy, explaining that they observed that if the E-Levy is implemented it is not enough to settle all road debts of the contractors.
Additionally, the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee in Parliament, Mr. Governs Kwame Agbodza joined the condemnation wango at the government over the issue and asked for the reinstatement of the collection of road and bridge tolls.
According to him, the cessation of the toll as done by the sector minister without recourse to the law is hurting the government’s coffers in the failed anticipation of revenue to be generated from the heavily resisted Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).
Speaking in an interview with Citi FM
Mr. Agbodza implored the government to reverse the cessation of the tolls and show Ghanaians real results in improving the country’s road infrastructure.
“No driver complained of road tolls except for the fact that they said they are paying for the road tolls and that money is not used to improve their roads. The Roads Minister took an illegal decision that is affecting the payment of road toll.”
“We are wilfully losing GH¢250,000 a day, and now we want to spend more money. I am saying that, if they bring back the road tolls today, that will not be too much burden on the taxpayer because they are used to it. But what you are forcing on them is E-levy, which has not been approved [yet]”, he advised.
Commenting on suggestions by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Attah, to use part of the money accrued from the E-levy to clear arrears owed road contractors, Mr. Agbodza maintained that the move is not feasible.
The Adaklu MP explained that the amount to be raised from the E-levy is not enough to settle all road debts.
“The government said it was going to make GH¢6 billion from the E-levy, but what percentage of it will go into the payment of road contractors. They claim the tax is going to be used to create jobs and pay road contractors.
"There is nothing in the E-levy Bill that says that it is going to be used to pay contractors. That is the problem currently. So E-levy is not going to eradicate the indebtedness of government to road contractors. It may reduce it, but not in its entirety,” he told the host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Bernard Avle, on Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
