K1.1 BILLION RAISED FROM TOLL GATES
The National Road Fund Agency (NRFA) has collected over K1 billion from Toll Gates this year, representing a collection performance efficiency of 126 percent and is on course to beat the 2023 target of K2.7 billion.
NRFA Public Relations Manager Alphonsius Hamachila said the K1.1 billion was raised from 38 Toll collection points across the country between January and May 2023 against a target of K887 million during this period.
Speaking at the ongoing Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola, Mr. Hamachila said the NRFA, through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning was channelling most of this revenue towards dismantling arrears owed to road contractors and consultants.
Mr Hamachila said the New Dawn Government was leveraging on the National Road Tolling Programme within the framework of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to finance road infrastructure development on a sustainable basis.
And Mr Hamachila has called on motorists to take advantage of the cashless payment system through the acquisition of the Electronic Toll Cards as this was a faster and efficient way of paying tolls.
He said through the cashless payment system, the Agency collected K152 million this year, representing 30 percent of inland toll collections.
He said the Agency was on a drive to increase the 60,000 Electronic Toll cards in circulation and have since partnered with commercial banks and mobile telephone service providers to facilitate the crediting of funds on the Toll Cards.