Mbalula yet to consult stakeholders on scrapping e-tolls
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) says South Africans
should not hold their breath on the scrapping of e-tolls.
This after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula hinted that the government could do away with the unpopular system.
Mbalula's office says there is currently no timeline as to when an official announcement can be expected.
"The minister, as an incoming minister, has to go through all the details and see all those for and against the e-toll system," says his spokesperson, Ayanda Allie Paine.
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Outa's Wayne Duvenage says they have not yet been invited to consultations with Mbalula on the potential scrapping of the tolling system.
"What we actually want to see is real action now. We know that the scheme has failed, and it is barely covering its administrative costs. It was a wrong system to introduce to finance the bonds to upgrade this freeway."
This week the Electronic Toll Collections (ETC) agency warned that the scrapping of e-tolls could prove detrimental to the economy.
The ETC's Coenie Vermaak said they have been invited to make submissions to the minister as to why e-tolls cannot be scrapped on Gauteng roads.
"I think the first thing is to understand is that if you do scrap e-tolls, the knock-on effect on the economy and the fiscal of the South African economy will be really immense. I mean we are really then facing the risk of a rating downgrade and that will make it more expensive to raise money."
ETC: Scrapping of e-tolls will have immense economic consequences
Electronic Toll Collections (ETC) has warned that the scrapping of e-tolls could prove detrimental to the economy.
However, Duvenage says Outa has no problem with ETC packing its bags and head back to Austria.
"In actual fact, If they have done their homework, they would have seen the environment is not conducive for [a] tolling scheme here."
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