Government suspends National Roads Authority Act for broader stakeholder consultations

The government has put the implementation of the National Roads Authority Act 2024 (Act 1118) on hold to allow for further consultations, the Ministry of Roads and Highways has announced.

In a statement on Friday, February 7 2025, the Ministry said concerns raised by various groups over the restructuring of road management agencies had informed the decision.

The Act, passed by Parliament in July 2024, aimed to merge the Ghana Highway Authority, the Department of Urban Roads, and the Department of Feeder Roads into a single body to improve coordination.

The suspension comes as the government moves ahead with plans to reintroduce road and bridge tolls to raise funds for maintenance and infrastructure development.

In a separate statement on Thursday, the Ministry said the new tolling system would be based on technology to improve efficiency and transparency.

Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza confirmed during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 20 that tolls would return but without physical booths.

“The road toll is coming back, but not in the form of building obstructions on the road,” Agbodza said, arguing that the previous government's suspension of toll collection was unlawful.

Alhaji Abu Gomda, a former deputy minister of roads and highways, defended the decision taken by the previous administration, insisting it was necessary at the time to ease congestion. He said the reintroduction of tolls must address past inefficiencies.

The Ministry assured the public that the procurement process for the new system would be open and competitive.