Zambia launches tolling programme
By Nawa Mutumweno – Zambia has introduced a national tolling programme effective November 1, 2013 which will go towards road maintenance in the country.
The Road Development Agency (RDA) has announced that the tolling for heavy vehicles will be conducted at weighbridges and ports of entry. The agency will be responsible for collecting toll fees.
The weighbridges will be situated at Kafue, Kafulafuta, Kapiri Mposhi, Kazungula, Livingstone, Mpika, Chipata’s Mwami border post and Solwezi.
This development follows the enactment of the Toll Act No. 14 of 2011 that authorises the RDA to operate toll points, and to erect and maintain such structures necessary for operating toll points on any road, border post, bridges, pontoon or any other place.
The objectives of road tolling are to keep the core road network in maintainable condition at all times through self-financing and self-sustaining mechanisms; to broaden the financing options for road infrastructure development, renewal and maintenance; and to encourage public-private partnership arrangement in road infrastructure financing and development, thus empowering Zambians by developing them into small to medium entrepreneurs.
Following the enactment of the Tolls Regulation Act No.14 of 2011, it is now mandatory for all road users to pay toll fees.
The Tolling Programme will be implemented in two phases:- Phase I (2013 – 15), RDA will implement the programme on selected roads; construct toll gates; while Phase II involves Government outsourcing selected parts of road network to private sector under Public Private Partnership (PPP); involvement of the private sector in the construction of roads from RDA own resources and recovering investment from tolls; private investors to be responsible for operations of toll roads and maintenance; and monitoring of construction and maintenance of the toll roads by RDA.
There have been some mixed feelings from some stakeholders with the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) welcoming the implementation of toll gates, saying it will enable Government to improve roads as the revenue collected from the initiative will be channelled to maintenance works.
ZAM president Bright Chunga said toll gates will assist Government raise revenue for the maintenance of roads in the country which has been a severe expense on the Treasury.
‘’The toll gate project is a measure that will contribute towards the safeguarding of our roads which have been costly for Government,’’ Dr. Chunga said.
Chipo Mhlanga, a business consultant, observed that it is a good programme that needs to be supported by the private sector as it will increase revenue collection for Government and reduce damage to the roads.
But the Chamber of Mines of Zambia (CMOZ) and Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) contended that the measure will increase the cost of doing business in Zambia.
CMOZ feels Government needs to clarify whether mining firms transporting products between facilities for processing will also be required to pay toll gate fees.
‘’The measure is an additional cost to the industry. Government did not clarify the issues surrounding the introduction of the tolls on all major public roads across the country,’’ Chamber president Emmanuel Mutati submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates recently.
ZNFU also feels that the cost of transporting agricultural produce will increase, hence becoming uncompetitive in the region.
‘’In Zambia, transportation is a major factor that has contributed to making the country a high cost producer. In light of the Free Trade Area that the country has signed with COMESA , toll gates will render the agriculture sector to become more and more uncompetitive,’’ ZNFU notes in its analysis of the 2014 national budget.
The toll fees will vary between K10 andK250 depending on the class of the motor vehicle.
