An amount of GH¢5,295,359,626 which is an estimate of GH¢5.3bn, has been approved by parliament for the activities needed to be undertaken by the Ministry of Roads and Highways for the next financial year ending December 31, 2023.
According to the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, the amount would be used to execute the Ministry’s planned programs for the fiscal year.
Ken Ofori- Atta as well disclosed that, for the year 2022, the Ministry of Roads and Highways was allocated an initial amount of GH¢4,000,673,000.00 which was revised to GH¢3,568,318,458.00.
As of September 2022, the Ministry had expended an amount of GH¢1,931,989,582.47. Meanwhile, an allocation of GH¢4,526,271,586.22 was made to the Road Fund for 2022.
However, as of September 30, 2022, a sum of GH¢612,111,078.21, representing 13.5% of the allocation, had been released by the Ministry of Finance, and the same was spent by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Attah revealed that, the total allocation to the Ministry, as captured in the Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the year, was GH¢5,295,359,626.00, nonetheless, the sum of allocations to the Government, Internally Generated Fund (IGF), Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), and Donor Partners amounted to GH¢5,295,359,627.00.
“The difference of GH¢1.00 is as a result of the GIFMIS budget module (hyperion) used in capturing the budget, which rounded decimal figures to the nearest whole numbers.”
Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Attah
Mr. Kennedy Nyarko Osei, the Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee in Parliament indicated that, the road sector was ready in all efforts to deliver an efficient road transportation system in the country if well-resourced in the year 2023.
“The Ministry’s mandate of providing a road transport system that was responsive to the needs of society, supporting growth, and reducing poverty while establishing and maintaining Ghana as the transportation hub of West Africa, could be realized if the Ministry is adequately resourced.”
Kennedy Nyarko Osei
Mr Osei, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, said the Ministry planned to engage Parliament to seek approval before the reintroduction of the road tolls in 2023 on selected public roads with possible deployment of electronic technology.
Eliminate Road Capping To Generate More Funds For Road Projects
The Deputy Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, and a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Adaklu, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, has beseeched the finance minister to take a critical look at the capping of road funds.
“This would enable the Ministry to retain enough IGF to carry out some programs and activities as the capping of Road Fund, under the earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (947), continued to affect the number of funds available for use under the Road Fund by the Ministry.”
Mr. Kwame Governs Agbodza
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader and MP for Tamale South, also pointed out that good roads were major challenges in many constituencies.
Hence, Mr. Iddrisu pleaded with Finance Minister to take off capping on roads and provide adequate resources for road infrastructure development.
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