Budget 2022: Tollbooth operators and hawkers shocked

Some toll collectors and hawkers at the Ashaiman Tema Motorway tollbooth end have expressed disappointment and worry over the nationwide cessation of road and bridge toll collection.

According to them, the policy by the government would worsen the country's unemployment situation and make life unbearable.

Mr Rashad Mohammed Rahmat, toll collector at the Ashaiman Tema Motorway tollbooth in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the cessation of toll collection on public roads was frustrating and must be looked at.

Mr Rahmat who is also a member of Ghana Society for the Physically Challenged, said the policy would cause a lot of problems including unemployment and persons with disability would be most affected.

He said the decision by the government to indulge the disabled in toll collection had helped better their lives hence ceasing the work without any proper arrangement would cause more harm to the ordinary disabled toll collector hence the need to get the directive to be reviewed. 

Although the government indicated that, all toll collectors would be reassigned, Mr Rahmat insisted that there was an ambiguity in the statement therefore the need for clarity on the directive.



He pleaded with government to revisit its decision and directive.

Mrs Bernice Amakie also a toll collector reiterated the need for the government to focus on reducing unemployment rather than increasing it and requested for more education on the directive.
 
Some hawkers who works around the two tollbooth stations at the Ashaiman Motorway told the GNA-Tema that they were not expecting the sudden move by the government.

They said hawking around such areas was the only job available to them as it aids them to get food on the table for their families.

They therefore called on the government to reconsider its decision in other not to deny them their livelihood. 

Mr Ken Ofori Atta, the Minister for Finance in his delivery of the 2022 budget and policy speech in Parliament on Wednesday November 17, 2021 on the theme: "Building a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Nation: Fiscal Consolidation And Job Creation" stated the abolition of the tollbooth levy.