Zinara tightens screws on govt vehicle exemptions

Zinara chief executive officer Nkosinathi Ncube said they were collaborating with the parent ministry on solution to halt the abuse of the facility.

THE Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) says it is regulating the exemption of government vehicles after it emerged that the waivers were open to abuse.

Reports indicate that some individuals were abusing the exemption permits when importing cars for resale in the country.

Speaking during its seventh annual general meeting this week, Zinara chief executive officer Nkosinathi Ncube said they were collaborating with the parent ministry on solution to halt the abuse of the facility.

"We are working with the parent ministry (Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development) to regulate the exemption for government vehicles. We will also be getting feedback from the ministry on that issue," Nkosinathi said.

He said Zinara was also making efforts to make toll fees more affordable.

"We have been working with our parent ministry and the Finance ministry to make the toll fees viable. We do understand the impact of the toll fees on the general cost of living, but our responsibility is to make sure that we collect responsibly and disburse to the road authority so that the public who pay these fees are able to see the positive impact. We believe that the toll fees are now commercially viable for the benefits of motorists," the Zinara boss said.

Transport minister Felix Mhona lauded Zinara's efforts for its dedication and progress in addressing long-standing challenges within the road infrastructure sector.

"It is against this background that I would like to commend the board, management and staff of Zinara for their unparalleled commitment and hard work towards executing the role and mandate of the organisation" Mhona said.

"Indeed, the 'New Zinara' is revealing itself more elaborately as you clear the backlog of legacy issues previously plaguing the system and the reputation of the organisation."

He emphasised the importance of collaboration in addressing the challenges facing the roads sector.

"The challenges facing the roads sector are significant, and we need to continue to work collaboratively to address them. In this regard, I would like to challenge Zinara to continue to explore new and innovative ways of improving its operations. I am happy to learn that the e-tolling project is progressing well and that soon we will be contracting a supplier for the service. Zinara must remain focused on maximising revenue collection, eliminating leakages and enhancing customer experience."

Zinara disbursed ZWL$43,8 billion to road authorities under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 in 2022.