Pension funds could be tapped to finance critical road projects – Suhuyini

Alhassan Suhuyini, Deputy Minister-Designate for Roads and Highways, has proposed leveraging pension funds to finance critical infrastructure projects in Ghana.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Suhuyini suggested that long-term pension investments could be redirected to support major infrastructure developments, including roads and highways.

His proposal came amid broader discussions on innovative financing mechanisms for infrastructure development. On Tuesday, February 25, Parliament engaged in a lengthy debate on exploring Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) as an alternative means of funding major government projects, such as road construction.

The Tamale Central MP highlighted the investment strategies of pension management institutions, including the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), which have historically invested in luxury hotels and other high-value assets.

While acknowledging the returns generated from such investments, Suhuyini questioned whether a portion of these funds could be redirected to address the country’s pressing infrastructure challenges.

“Personally, I think we have to also begin to look at the investment portfolios of some of our pension fund management institutions. For example, the report of SNNIT shows that they invest in luxurious hotels and other assets.

“I wonder if moving forward, some of these funds can now be used to support this very critical infrastructure roads of the country and, just like we are talking about tolling, toll those roads over the years.

“For example, if you have an agency supporting the construction of a three-tier dual carriageway from Accra to Kumasi, and have like four tolling stops, for a number of years that investment can be recouped.

“We all know that pension funds are supposed to have investments for long terms because people who invest in pensions do so for longer terms. So, I think that that conversation should go on and I will be guided by my minister and look at how far the law allows for us to look to those options,” he stated.