Editorial
Reintroduction of road toll and matters arising
● Reopening of toll booths should not cause congestion
The Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, presenting the 2022 budget in Parliament, announced the government’s decision to abolish road tolls, citing the “inconveniences” the toll booths were causing.
He said at the time that though money was needed to fix deplorable roads in the country, the setup of toll booths had led to congestion as it involved more “human intervention processes.”
This congestion, Mr. Ofori-Atta said, affected productivity negatively, while the booths became unhealthy market centres, lengthening travel time from one place to the other and polluted the vicinities where these tollboths were situated.
Due to the above mentioned challenges, the government abolished the collection of toll, effective November 18, 2021. Some reports however suggest that the abolishing of tolls had caused the government to lose over GH¢200 million, a substantial amount which could have constructed and maintained some roads.
Sixteen months after the cancellation of the tolls, the Ministry of Roads and Highway has announced the re-introduction of same.
I personally applaud the decision, as it will help generate funds to fix some bad roads. But in bringing back the toll, what measures has the government put in place to ensure that the “challenges” that led to its abolishment do not rear their ugly heads again?
I hope that as the toll collection leads to increase in revenue, the government will replace human beings with automated machines, as indicated by Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Majority Leader in Parliament.
This, I believe, can solve the many inconveniences that came with the collection of the tolls. As to whether hawkers will stop hawking around toll booths, that is another thing for the government to critically look at.
Evelyn Naadu Borquaye,
Pentecost University,
Accra.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
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