Toll gates raises K1.3bn
The Roads Fund Administration has from November 2021 to March 31 2022 collected K1.3 billion in toll gate fees from both Chingeni and Kalinyeke toll gates.
RFA spokesperson Masauko Ngwaluko responding to a written questionnaire, said the Roads Authority are carrying out an assessment on how best to use the funds.
He said in accordance with the Gazette, the priority is to use the funds on the tolled roads.
Said Ngwaluko: “However, to have meaningful interventions, the administration plans to raise a bond and do some serious road rehabilitation of the tolled road and use the toll gates as security and the receipts for repayment.”
Reacting to the development, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandila while describing the progress as good news, urged government to demonstrate transparency and accountability in the utilisation of the toll fees so that taxpayers appreciate the benefits of paying toll fees.
He said: “It is our expectation that the fees collected will be used the intended purpose and in accordance with the existing law. We need to ensure that funds collected are really invested in the maintenance and rehabilitation of our road infrastructure which is in a very poor state.”
Kambwandila further called on Roads Fund Administration to tighten leakages in the toll gate collection, and act against officers who abuse the system.
Last month, Roads Fund Administration suspended six of its officers pending disciplinary proceedings for misappropriating more than K10 million in tollgate collection.
This was despite an assurance by Minister of Transport Jacob Hara that tollgate funds will be guarded.
The Roads Fund Administration introduced the tollgates as a reform area to diversify sources of financing for road maintenance which currently solely relies on fuel levies.
The fund expects to raise between K4 billion and K5 billion per year from the toll fees with the amount projected to increase with the passage of time.
