Ghana road maintenance funding falls to 37% of required levels

A World Bank report indicates that Ghana met only 37% of its estimated road maintenance funding needs in 2024. This represents a decline from the 45% coverage recorded between 2018 and 2021.

Ghana’s trunk road network, valued at approximately $10 billion, requires an estimated $685 million annually for upkeep, which is roughly 0.83% of the country’s GDP. However, available funding in 2024 fell below $255 million.

The World Bank identified structural issues contributing to this shortfall, including inadequate allocation and leaky transfers. Between 2016 and 2020, only 58% of revenues collected through road user charges were transferred to approved maintenance budgets. Additionally, the implementation of the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act has impacted financing. By the end of 2024, accumulated arrears reached GH¢5.75 billion.