The Namibian Road Fund Administration (RFA) will host a delegation from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this week to establish how Namibia’s road user charging system works successfully.
According to a statement issued by the RFA, the DRC delegation will comprise 19 officials from various government road sector institutions, which will be on what is called a “benchmarking” visit.
The RFA, an entity established to manage the road user charging system in Namibia, ensures that funds collected from road users are reinvested in the management and upkeep of the national road infrastructure. This ensures that quality roads are maintained for the benefit of the country's economy and road users.
During the 2019/20 financial year, the N$2.6 billion in road user charges collected came from fuel levies (60%), annual motor vehicle licence and registration fees (28%), and the balance from 5.65% mass distances charges, cross-border charges and abnormal load fees and road carrier permits.
The RFA also ensures that all the funds allocated to recipient authorities are used effectively and for their intended purpose. It allocates funds to other beneficiaries involved in road infrastructure maintenance and policing such as the Namibia Police, as well as town and city police forces.
Namibia has retained the top spot for good quality roads and connectivity in Africa for five consecutive years, making it a road sector benchmarking destination.
The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2020, saw Namibia take pole position with a score of 5.2 out of 7, beating South Africa into second and Rwanda third place on scores of 5.0.
Namibia is also ranked 23rd globally, ahead of economic giants such as China (42), India (46) and Italy (56).
