“We suggest that an audited account of money collected since the inception of the multi-currency era would be most appropriate to clear the air,” ECAZ Chairperson, Warship Dumba, said in a 18 September 2012 letter to the Minister of Transport and Communications, Nicholas Goche.
The letter was copied to the Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti. Dumba said if assertions by the Zimbabwe National Road Agency that the current fees were sub-economic were true, it was prudent that there be transparency in the handling of the available funds to prove their insufficiency. “Of concern to us as an association is that
ZINARA is considering increasing toll gate fees as they have described the current fees as sub-economic and said this is in line with improved conditions on the toll-gate plazas. If the improvement of toll-gate plazas is the reason behind the increase, we beg that you make everything transparent before implementing these unjustifiable increases,” he said.
He said results of a survey carried out by the Herald, which revealed that more than 92 percent were against the toll increase, was a clear indication that Zimbabweans wanted to know how the money they paid under the old toll-fees regime was used. “This opinion poll motivated our organisation to believe that not only are the people unhappy with the increase, but also want to know how the money has been put to use,” he said.
The councilors’ group demanded that the minister make public all the projects completed using the toll fees and how much Zinara and the Post Office were retaining as administration fees. They also demanded to know the laws being used to collect the money and the criteria followed in funds disbursements.
Zinara announced last month that toll fees could be increased with effect from 1 January 2013. The road authority said it would spend up to $25 million over the next three years on the construction of state of the art toll -gates on major highways across the country.
Post published in: News