Road Fund Generates GH� 1.01 Billion In 10 Years - Minister

Mr Joe Gidisu, Minister of Roads and Highways, has announced that about GHC1.01 billion was generated by Road Fund between 2000 and 2010. He said in 2010 a total of GH�182.0 million was realized from the fund�s various revenue sources as compared to GH�136.0 million accrued in 2009. He explained that the relatively significant upward jump was due to the increases in road and bridge tolls, vehicle registration fees, road user fees and International Transit Fees. The Minister stated that GH�185 million had been projected for 2011 so as to meet part of the road maintenance budget of the agencies which depend on the fund to undertake their maintenance programme and activities. The current capacity of the fund could sustain only about 60 percent of the country�s road maintenance needs, he added. Nii Quaye Kumah Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, read the Minister�s speech at a public forum organised by the Ghana Road FundManagement Board under the theme: �Financing of Road Maintenance� for about 200 participants. They included road contractors, Municipal/District Chief Executives and members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transportation at Sunyani. Mr Gidisu expressed regret that despite the above financial achievement the fund carried forward an indebtedness of GH�74.2 million from 2010 to 2011, explaining that the situation posed 40 percent financing gap on the national road maintenance needs.