Transport for London (TfL) and the UK government are currently seeking payment from over 20 countries, including Ghana, for London congestion charges that have been outstanding for two decades (2003-2023).
Diplomats collectively owe TfL more than £143m in unpaid congestion charges. The Ghana High Commission in the UK has an outstanding amount of over £5m.
The US Embassy has the highest debt, exceeding £14m, followed by the Embassy of Japan and Togo, which owe over £10m and £40 respectively.
A statement released by TfL, sighted by Citi News on Monday, clarified that the UK government and TfL view the congestion charge as a service fee, not a tax.
“This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it. The majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels,” it added.
TfL stressed their commitment to collecting all congestion charge fees and related penalty charge notices, and are advocating for the issue to be addressed at the International Court of Justice.
In the meantime, the Nigerian High Commission has an outstanding debt of over £8.3m, the Embassy of Sudan owes over £3.9m, and the Kenya High Commission owes over £3.2m.
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