• Ghana will reintroduce tolls via digital systems to ease traffic and raise funds

• The move follows revenue losses after tolls were scrapped in favor of the E-Levy

• Smart tolling will support the Abidjan-Lagos corridor modernization project

Ghana has confirmed plans to roll out a smart toll system on major roads by late 2025, aiming to improve traffic flow and boost revenue for infrastructure maintenance.

The decision comes after the government scrapped physical toll booths in 2021, replacing them with the Electronic Levy (E-Levy) on digital financial transactions. The E-Levy failed to generate sufficient revenue, and authorities estimate annual losses of GHS1 billion (around $80 million) due to the toll removal, according to Emmanuel Cherry, head of the Ghanaian Chamber of Construction Industry.

Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minister of Roads and Highways, said the new system will use automated, interconnected tolling stations with electronic vehicle detection and digital payments, designed to reduce wait times and streamline operations.

The digital system is expected to provide real-time traffic data, support targeted maintenance planning, and allow for more transparent fund management, with toll revenue potentially reinvested in road upkeep.

The initiative is part of a broader infrastructure upgrade tied to the ECOWAS-backed Abidjan-Lagos corridor project, which aims to transform the 1,028 km route into a modern highway to support trade and mobility across West Africa.

Technical work on the system has begun. A meeting was held in Lagos in September 2024 to finalize technical plans, followed by a validation workshop in Cotonou in January 2025 to review trade and transport facilitation reports.