2025 Budget Allocation will Address Major Challenges in Road Sector – Adjei Mensah
The Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Hon. Isaac Adjei Mensah, has lauded the 2025 Budget for its significant allocation to the road and transport sector, which he believes will help address longstanding infrastructure challenges across the country.
Speaking to ExpressNewsGhana in Parliament on Friday, Hon. Adjei Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Wassa East, emphasized that the budget was a departure from previous ones in terms of clarity and focus.
“The 2025 Budget is a clear improvement. It is simpler and more targeted. Ministers no longer have to speak for every aspect of their sector during the budget debate — now, each sector speaks for itself, making it easier for Ghanaians to understand the impact of each allocation,” he explained.
The 2025 Budget was presented to Parliament on March 11, 2025, by the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassel Ato Forson.
Highlighting specific gains, Hon. Adjei Mensah said the government’s $10 billion “Big Push” initiative will bolster infrastructure development across multiple sectors, including roads, health, rural development, and transport.
“This budget pushes for development in key sectors. For roads and transport, especially, we are seeing real commitments — not just promises,” he noted.
Rail and Aviation Projects
He cited ongoing projects such as the Kumasi Airport expansion and the completion of the Tamale Airport as signs of progress.
“We inherited some incomplete projects like the Kumasi Airport. Now we have completed and finalized them. The Tamale Airport has also been upgraded to serve as a training and maintenance hub in the sub-region,” he said. “This will help open up the economy and strengthen regional connectivity.”
Touching on railways, Hon. Adjei Mensah noted that the Western Railway Corridor — running through Sekondi, Takoradi, Nsuta, and Tarkwa — will receive renewed attention under the 2025 Budget.
“For years, we’ve talked about converting from narrow gauge to standard gauge, and now it’s happening. The Western Railway Corridor is finally going to be developed, in partnership with private investors. This will help us haul minerals more efficiently and reduce pressure on our roads,” he stated.
Roads and Maintenance
Hon. Adjei Mensah was candid about the poor condition of Ghana’s road network, emphasizing the need for routine maintenance.
“We can’t keep constructing new roads without maintaining existing ones. A lot of our roads have deteriorated because of lack of maintenance — especially under the previous administration,” he said.
“From 2017 to 2024, no new Road Condition Survey was conducted, which means we don’t even have accurate data on the condition of our roads,” he lamented.
He also hailed the government’s decision to uncap the Road Fund, a move that will allow funds to be used for road maintenance rather than being locked in the Consolidated Fund.
“The uncapping of the Road Fund is critical. It means more resources for grading, gravelling, pothole patching, and general maintenance. These are what people are crying for in our communities,” he said.
He further disclosed that the government’s total commitment to the road sector now stands at GH¢88 billion in GOG funds, in addition to $1 billion in dollar-denominated commitments and GH¢176 million in other obligations.
Reintroduction of Road Tolls Another major development, according to Hon. Adjei Mensah, is the reintroduction of road tolls.
“The removal of tolls by the previous government was a mistake. We lost huge revenues that could have been used for road maintenance,” he said. “This government is reintroducing tolls, and it’s a step in the right direction. The whole idea of tolling is to raise funds to maintain our roads.”
Looking Ahead
He assured Ghanaians that abandoned and uncompleted road projects would be realigned, completed, and put to use.
“We won’t just put roads on contract and abandon them. We’re focusing on both maintenance and new developments, so our road network can serve its purpose,” he said.
The Roads and Transport Committee Chairman urged Ghanaians to support the budget and monitor its implementation closely, saying, “This is one of the most focused and realistic budgets I’ve seen in my time in Parliament.”
Source: Felix Nyaaba//expressnewsghana.com
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