Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:29:27 +0000
By Mailesi Banda
THE National Road Fund Agency projects to collect about K750 million from toll gates this year, representing a growth of 89 percent from the projection last year which was K400 million.
The growth in toll revenue is expected to come from the 20 new toll stations that will be opened by the end of this year.
According to a report released by NRFA, the average monthly projection from all toll stations including way bridges, ports of entry, existing in land toll stations and additional planned stations was K63m.
The report reveals that the NRFA would leverage on the concept of a home-grown economic recovery dubbed the “Zambia Plus” to raise domestic revenue in line with the Ministry of Finance’s budgetary pronouncements of enhancing domestic resource mobilisation.
It cites that the initiative of the “Zambia Plus” would help improve the economic and fiscal governance by raising the levels of accountability and transparency in the allocation and use of public resources.
The NRFA pledged to increase the road tolling foot print across the road network and enhance efficiencies by embracing technological advances and the introduction of innovative payment platforms.
According to the report, e-tags and toll cards would reduce the operational expenditure enhance internal controls and ensure value for money.
NRFA is said to have improved their employment profile to 136, adding that there was a total of 67 staff engagements recorded.
The constraints faced by the NRFA was funding, adding that this made the attainment of the roll out plan of the Pave Zambia 2000 strategic plan have challenges.
