Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:10:51 +0000
By MAILESI BANDA
THE National Road Fund Agency (NRFA), has projected to raise K 2,034 million from the road sector in 2018 compared to the K 1,902 collected last year.
The agency’s, chief executive officer, Wallece Mumba said of the total K2,034 expected to be collected this year K832 million would come through road tolling while the remaining K1,202 million will come from other road user charges. Mr. Mumba made the revelation when he made a submission to the budget committee on domestic resource mobilisation and the national budget which is chaired by Mbala Member of Parliament Mwalimu Simfukwe.
Mr. Mumba disclosed that the agency had formulated policies aimed at enhancing revenue collection in the road sector.
He said to achieve its set target NRFA will this year make improvements in their efficiency in order to influence an increase in resource mobilisation.
“We have a target of having 40 toll plazas by the end of 2018 from the 9 toll plazas we managed to achieve in 2017 country wide and our approach will be about cost effectiveness,” he said.
Mr. Mumba stated that NRFA will engage with the Road Development Agency (RDA) to enhance the procurement and construction of toll plazas.
He noted that the 40 plazas would include conversational, simplified and the booth-boom model. He explained that the type of toll plaza constructed in a particular area is dependent on the volume of traffic that frequents the road.
And, Mr Mumba said the K4 billion debt that the agency has from various sectors of the economy would be paid back by 2019.
Responding to a question from the committee chairperson, Mwalimu Simfukwe who wanted to know how long it would take the agency to dismantle the debt, Mr Mumba said they would complete repayment by 2019.
