By Patricia Male

The National Road Fund Agency –NRFA- has disclosed that a total of K6.8 billion toll fees have been collected from November 2013 since the tolling programme started to July 2021.

And a study by the Zambia Tax Platform in partnership with the Centre for Trade Policy and Development –CTPD- focusing on the utilization of toll fees in Zambia has revealed that most road users feel toll fees are not be utilized for road rehabilitation as some roads still remain deplorable despite them paying toll fees every day.

Presenting the study findings during a virtual meeting this morning, Zambia Tax Platform private sector enhancement specialist Ellen Makinishi indicated that most of those interviewed during the study also feel toll fees are not being properly utilized.

And Ms. Makinishi says during the study, it was revealed that K1.551 billion road fees were collected in 2020 against the budgeted collection of K1.641.

She has since recommended the need to amend the tolls act and National Road Fund Agency act in order to exclusively dedicate tolls revenue to road maintenance and rehabilitation only because under the current legal framework, revenue collected from tolls can be used for road construction.

Ms. Makinishi has further recommended that government increases public sensitization on the management of toll fees in Zambia especially that the general public continues to hold the view that the money collected from toll stations is more than sufficient for road construction projects, an assertion which is incorrect.

Further, Ms. Makinishi says Zambia tax platform is recommending that NRFA considers prioritizing maintenance and rehabilitation of roads where tolls are collected in order to encourage public compliance and ownership.
PHOENIX NEWS

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