Speaker Bagbin Directs Reversal of Roads and Transport Minister’s Suspension of Tolls Payment
18-11-2021
The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has directed the Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, to reverse his decision to suspend the collection of road tolls because, in his view, the Minister acted wrongly by issuing that command.
The Speaker said the Budget Statement and Government’s Economic Policy are policy proposals that the Minister of Finance has presented to the House and until they are approved nobody has the authority to start implementing something that doesn’t exist.
He therefore called on him to honourably withdraw that directive and warned that failure to do so will be a serious breach of the directive of the Speaker and that would amount to Contempt of Parliament since the House is yet to debate the Government's decision to scrap the tolls throughout the country which are good source of revenue into the state kitty.
"I think that it is proper for us to direct the Minister, a Member of this House, in fact a Senior Member of this House, I think that he might have acted wrongly and therefore I call on him to reverse this decision," the Speaker ruled.
Ken Ofori-Atta during the Budget Statement presentation indicated that Ghana's roads need fixing and are being fixed but considering the plight of Ghanaians, he said Government has abolished all tolls on public roads and bridges which takes effect immediately the Budget is approved.
The Roads and Highways Minister shockingly rushed to direct the immediate discontinuation of toll collection on all public roads and bridges across the country few hours after the Finance Minister presented the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to be pursued next year by the Government.
The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu during the day's deliberations questioned the powers that the Minister relied on to issue such a directive that toll collection at the various toll booths and bridges across the country must be halted effective Thursday, November 18, 2021 when the Budget had not been approved by Parliament.
The Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza in support of the Minority Leader said it was quite clear that the Minister clearly sidestepped Parliament by pretending that he as a Minister, not even the Finance Minister, has the right to waive taxes in this country.
The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea , on his part defended the Minister saying he did not disrespect Parliament and the laws by issuing that order when the budget had not been approved but rather an the directive is an administrative error which should not be.
An attempt by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, to challenge the Speaker's directive was unsuccessful because the Rt. Hon. Speaker advanced superior legislative arguments to buttress his decision.
