Digital road toll is Akufo-Addo’s initiative – Asenso Boakye tells Mahama

Francis Asenso Boakye, the former Minister for Roads and Highways, made a statement. He said the digital road toll was created under the NPP government.

He denied claims that Mahama’s administration introduced this system as new. According to him, the digital road toll initiative came from the Akufo-Addo government.

Asenso Boakye's comments followed Mahama's recent remarks. Mahama hinted that road tolls could be charged directly from mobile wallets or bank accounts. He spoke at the 9th Ghana CEO Summit and Awards Expo.

Mahama explained that drivers would not sit in traffic to pay tolls anymore. Vehicles will link to their owners’ Ghana Cards for tracking purposes. This will allow toll collection via mobile money or bank transactions.

He assured that the toll would be minimal, costing just 1 cedi. Mahama stated, “Every car is linked to the owner’s Ghana Card.” He added that if you cross a bridge, your car will be photographed automatically.

Asenso Boakye responded on Facebook on May 27. He noted Mahama's announcement about reintroducing road tolls through a digital system. He emphasized it was presented as a new initiative aligned with digitization.

Boakye acknowledged Mahama's recognition of digitizing the economy but wanted clarity on facts. He stated that groundwork for a digital road tolling system was laid by the NPP before Mahama took office in January.

He further explained that the NPP government built on existing digital infrastructure like Ghana Card and Digital Address System. In 2024, Cabinet approved reintroducing road tolls through a digital collection system.

This decision followed a formal request by the then Minister for Roads and Highways. The policy shift was confirmed in the 2024 Mid-Year Budget Review by the Finance Minister.

Boakye concluded by stating: “The digitization of road toll collection was conceived and structured by the NPP government.” He called for continuity instead of political repackaging or revisionist claims.