At the heart of Dr. Bawumia’s campaign message is the involvement of the private sector in infrastructure development. He strongly believes that the government should reduce its expenditure on certain public projects, such as the building of roads, school blocks, hostels/dormitories, and the purchasing of government vehicles. Instead, these projects should be undertaken by the private sector, with the government leasing or recovering its investment through tolls in the case of roads.
This innovative policy should not be misconstrued as a return to the old policy of the government collecting tolls on existing roads solely to raise revenue. The proposed policy is about partnering with the private sector to fund new road construction projects, rather than the government bearing the full cost.
It’s important to note that the media headlines stating that Dr. Bawumia wants to reintroduce road tolls without providing the full context of the policy discussion during the tour of the Volta Region can be misleading. The goal is to create a framework that allows the private sector to invest in road infrastructure, with the government recovering its investment through toll collection.
The key point is that these forward-thinking policies, which aim to harness the potential of the private sector in driving infrastructure development, should be applauded and voted for in December 2024. They represent a shift in the approach to public-private partnerships in the country.
It’s Possible
Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku
Chairman for Energy and Petroleum manifesto
DMB Campaign.
