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Lecturer condemns abolishing of road tolls
Dr Kennedy A. Alatinga, a Senior lecturer and Dean of the Faculty of Planning and Land Management of the SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies has described as bad and ill- planned to abolish road tolls.
He also condemned the decision to tax mobile money transaction (Momo) above GH¢100.00 and other electronic banking.
Dr Alatinga said, in Wa after the 2022 budget presentation to Parliament, that unemployment was also likely to rise if the road tolls were abolished.
He explained that the road toll was instituted to generate help as part of revenue generation source to support the Road Fund, which was setup in 1985 to secure sources of funding for the preservation of the roads.
He said some provisions in the Road Fund Act, 1997 (Act 536) mandated the Road Fund board to ensure that the nation’s trunk, feeder and urban roads were regularly maintained and that generated revenue at the toll booths was mandatory.
Dr Alatinga said it was necessary to properly and transparently manage the road toll booths to generate more money for development.
“Already, we are grappling with poor road network and we know the havoc long vehicles from neighbouring countries are destroying our roads. So how do we allow all of them to run on our roads for free”, he said.
He claimed that there was excessive hardship in the country and that any policy that will let some people lose their jobs was a bad policy, which must have a second look to sustain jobs.
“Using traffic congestion as some of the reasons for abolishing the road tolls is not a good example because there are parts of the country where traffic congestion is heavier than even around toll booths.
There is no toll booth at Suame in Kumasi, but due to poor road network, there is always traffic congestion there”, he said.
On the tax on mobile and other electronic banking, Dr Alatinga said the situation will prevent people from transacting business electronically, especially as the country was talking about cashless economy. -GNA
Parliament has confirmed that the Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Kwame Ohene Frimpong, has been detained at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In a statement signed by the Clerk to Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Parliament said the incident had been brought to the attention of the House leadership.
According to the statement, the Speaker of Parliament and the leadership of the House are currently in contact with Ghana’s Mission in The Hague to gather detailed information about the matter.
Parliament, however, did not disclose the reasons behind the MP’s detention.
“The public will be duly informed appropriately on this matter,” the statement added.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s parliament has marked the 2nd edition of May Day 2026 under the theme “ Welcome Home”.
It was special day meant to celebrate the invaluable support of the workforce, recognizing the commitment, resilience, and contributions of workers to institutional growth and national development.
Delivering the message on behalf of the Speaker, the 1st Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, described the theme as very apt, appropriate, and timely, noting that Parliament is more than a workplace, it is a shared home.
He emphasized that we cannot speak about work without speaking about people, reminding everyone that the true measure of our work is the well-being of our people.
He urged that our traditional clothing become an integral part of our everyday clothing, and that our local languages must become integral to our daily lives, interwoven into education and practiced at home.
Referencing Standing Order 63, which captures the use of local language as optional in deliberations, he encouraged a renewed commitment to identity, saying it is significant that we “come home” and present who we are so future generations can inherit a story they can fully tell.
The Clerk, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, in his remarks commended officers for their dedication and devotion to duty, calling on them to go the extra mile and leave legacies.
Echoing the reminder that an unexamined life is not worth living, he described the event as an invitation to reconnect with our roots through cultural revival.
The Deputy Clerk, C&FMS, Dr. Gloria Sarku Kumawu, urged all not to forget their roots, the people behind the stories of ministries, industries, and the strides made both in-house and beyond.
What began last year has now become a meaningful tradition, showcasing Ghanaian heritage, fostering unity, and encouraging innovation under the principle of diversity for unity and diversity for progress, she added.
The gathering brought together leadership, public officials, and staff across all levels, along with the media, standing as a unifying platform that honored service, celebrated culture, and reaffirmed a shared commitment to national development.
