News / National
Tollgates Collections to date over US$24
14 Feb 2011 at 16:52hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT has collected over US$24 million in toll fees since the establishment of tollgates in August 2009, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Com-munication heard yesterday.
"The total fees we have collected to date are US$24 543 026,03 with a total expenditure of US$18 631 801,03," Zimbabwe National Roads Authority engineer for the northern region Eng Givemore Kufa told the committee.
"This leaves a balance of US$4 911 225,00," he said.
Eng Kufa, however, said had the tollgates been computerised they could have collected more.
"If we had a computer system where we collected US$18 million we could have collected US$30 million," Eng Kufa said.
He said a total of US$1 037 980,65 was used to build tollgate shelters while the rest had gone towards road maintenance works countrywide.
According to Eng Kufa Mashonaland Central got US$1 089 590, Mashonaland East US$1 483 664, Mashonaland West US$1 630 548, Matebeleland South US$1 728 211 and Midlands US$1 606 575.
He said Matebeleland North had received US$2 023 819 and Manicaland US$1 835 519.
Eng Kufa said statistics for Masvingo were not available.
"Another US$2 million has been spent on the asphalt overlay along the Harare-Bulawayo highway.
"However, construction of the tollgate shelters has been lagging. The companies doing the whole country seem to be failing to cope with the load throughout the country," he said.
Government awarded the two contracts to build the shelters to Tega Steel and More Way Industries.
An official in the department of roads in the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development, Mr Moses Ruwende said they had initially wanted five companies to be awarded the tenders to construct the tollgates but the number was reduced by the State Procurement Board.
Tega Steel was awarded the tender to construct 15 while More Way Industries will build the other nine.
Tega Steel has built eight tollgate sites and they are now awaiting installation of electricity while the rest are at various stages of construction. The company is scheduled to complete all the sites by July 16. More Way Industries has completed four tollgates with three at sub-column level while construction is yet to commence for the remaining two.
Mr Ruwende said Government had ordered equipment for electronic tolling from China and is currently at Beira.
"The total fees we have collected to date are US$24 543 026,03 with a total expenditure of US$18 631 801,03," Zimbabwe National Roads Authority engineer for the northern region Eng Givemore Kufa told the committee.
"This leaves a balance of US$4 911 225,00," he said.
Eng Kufa, however, said had the tollgates been computerised they could have collected more.
"If we had a computer system where we collected US$18 million we could have collected US$30 million," Eng Kufa said.
He said a total of US$1 037 980,65 was used to build tollgate shelters while the rest had gone towards road maintenance works countrywide.
According to Eng Kufa Mashonaland Central got US$1 089 590, Mashonaland East US$1 483 664, Mashonaland West US$1 630 548, Matebeleland South US$1 728 211 and Midlands US$1 606 575.
He said Matebeleland North had received US$2 023 819 and Manicaland US$1 835 519.
"Another US$2 million has been spent on the asphalt overlay along the Harare-Bulawayo highway.
"However, construction of the tollgate shelters has been lagging. The companies doing the whole country seem to be failing to cope with the load throughout the country," he said.
Government awarded the two contracts to build the shelters to Tega Steel and More Way Industries.
An official in the department of roads in the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development, Mr Moses Ruwende said they had initially wanted five companies to be awarded the tenders to construct the tollgates but the number was reduced by the State Procurement Board.
Tega Steel was awarded the tender to construct 15 while More Way Industries will build the other nine.
Tega Steel has built eight tollgate sites and they are now awaiting installation of electricity while the rest are at various stages of construction. The company is scheduled to complete all the sites by July 16. More Way Industries has completed four tollgates with three at sub-column level while construction is yet to commence for the remaining two.
Mr Ruwende said Government had ordered equipment for electronic tolling from China and is currently at Beira.
Source - Byo24NEWS
